D Is For Dump Truck

Though it is most definitely a product of its time (the early '80s) and place (Boston), the debut album by Dumptruck has aged fairly gracefully, as the fine reissue of D Is for Dumptruck attests. Kirk Swan and Seth Tiven created a uniquely cross-pollinated sound that hovered somewhere in the borderland between jangly power pop and experimental art-punk. As you might expect, you'll hear hints of the early Del Fuegos in their subtle country inflections and hints of Mission of Burma in their occasionally dense and chaotic guitar sound (especially on the excellent live bonus tracks). A certain melodic dryness is probably what kept Dumptruck from hitting the big time before imploding two albums later; though "Make a Move" and "Watch Her Fall" are both catchy in their way, these songs are mostly more about texture than tune, and neither Tiven nor Swan has a singing voice worth writing home about. But there's definitely something here, and the next two albums would show the band growing up quickly. If you have to pick just one Dumptruck album it should probably be For the Country, but if you like that one you'll probably like this one too. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide