Dispatch EP: A Review

I'm going to go right ahead and admit that when I first heard that Dispatch was getting together and recording new music, I became as giddy as the average twelve year old girl when presented with an opportunity to meet Justin Bieber--though, I might add, with more justifiable cause.

Dispatch haven't recorded new material in almost ten years, and as much as I like all of their old stuff, nothing compares to the excitement of hearing a brand new song for the very first time.

I must say that I was hesitant when I heard "Melon Blend" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  Yes, it sounded like a Dispatch song, but I didn't feel like it had the brilliance of some of their other stuff.  Like "Root Down", on the collection "Four-Day Trials", it sounded inherently Dispatch, but at the same time forgettable.  A week or so later, when a preview of "Valentine" was released, I had a similar reaction to it.  Sure, the song was good, and it was great to hear Dispatch together again, but when it came right down to it, the song was dull at worst, and a good imitation of a Bob Dylan tune at best.

However, being a fan, I considered it my responsibility to buy the full EP and save my opinion until I hear the finished product.  Yes, "Melon Blend" is moderately forgettable, yes, "Valentine" sounds like a would-be Dylan song, and yes, "Turn This Ship Around" isn't terribly catchy, but "Con Man", "Beto", and "Broken American" are more than enough to make the EP worth buying.  Since last week, I have had one of those three stuck in my head at all times. 

I could spend another five or ten minutes explaining exactly why they are terrific songs, but you know what? I'd rather listen to them again.  I suggest you do the same.