Watford’s Dicemen flex their folk, post-punk and indie roots with twelve songs that cover the state of the nation, the state of the world and the elusiveness of fame.
Release Date: 3rd May 2024
Label: Self Release
Formats: CD / Digital
Double Six is the second album from Watford-based acoustic trio The Dicemen and follows the band’s 2020 debut, Last Throw of the Dice. The Dicemen, Ken Spearpoint (acoustic bass and vocals), Kevin O’Brien (guitar) and Richard Brandon (mandolin, bouzouki and vocals) have been attracting quite o lot of attention lately; we certainly sat up and took notice when we heard their Armistice Day single, Church On A Hill, last November – it’s included here, alongside a whole lot of other goodies – and even Chris Difford is a fan, so much so that he invited The Dicemen to open for him on his 2023 UK Tour. It’s not every band that is able to bill itself as: “One of the most popular folk/ post-punk/ indie acoustic trios in the Herts Beds Bucks area.”
Double Six is something of a signpost event, as far as The Dicemen are concerned; alongside six brand new songs, the album also features a pair of recent singles plus remixes of four older songs – Dicemen classics, no less – from the band’s back catalogue. Double Six is an opportunity to take stock of the band’s great moments and to look forward to a rosy future.
The album tackles some thorny subjects – the ongoing war in Ukraine, Brexit and the occupation of the White House by Trump’s MAGA maniacs all come under the Dicemen microscope; migration is given a spot of long-overdue sympathetic scrutiny, doubt is cast on the future of the English idyll and the joys and frustrations of trying to make an impact from the lower reaches of the music industry are, respectively, celebrated and commiserated upon. And it’s all done with a joie-de-vivre that sometimes contrasts with the serious messages in the songs’ lyrics.
The scene is set right from the start with opening track, Living The Dream, an upbeat commentary on the dedication and sacrifices of aspiring musicians and artists. Verses describe the tribulations of struggling rappers, writers and painters, all of whom are doing unfulfilling jobs to pay the bills as they make their bids for the top. The music is bright, poppy, crisp and light and, whilst the song’s refrain declares “It’s a nightmare,” there’s plenty evidence in Richard’s vocal delivery to suggest that The Dicemen, at least, won’t be giving up on their dream just yet…
Described as “a tragic ballad,” the mildly bluesy View From A Bridge recounts an everyday story of relationship decay that, shockingly, turns into a murder ballad. There are a few nods in the direction of the aforementioned Mr Difford with lines like: “I swore to her mother I’d never look at another, but there was a rift right from the start. I suppose it was two jobs and the baby – either way, we just drifted apart,” and Richard’s vocal changes from observational to dramatic as the tension in the story increases.
Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues riff is worked effortlessly into a detailed observation of the horrors of the ongoing Ukraine war in the magnificent Hope Lies Bleeding. The song is upbeat, but lyrics like “Where do we go from here? The way ahead is far from clear; living with distrust and fear, where do we go from here?” offer a stark assessment of the hopelessness felt by those directly affected by the war. And the musical mood remains buoyant, even if the lyrical anguish and uncertainty remain, in the metaphorical love song, Bet On You. It’s an interesting song, with harmonies, subject matter, use of metaphors and delivery that are all reminiscent of Show of Hands.
There’s a mid-sixties feel to the atmospheric A Year To Say Goodbye, a song that cascades with words and the wistfulness and anticipation expressed in the lyrics is given further emphasis by the use of the minor key. Richard even emulates a George Harrison 12-string guitar solo on his bouzouki!
Humour is never far away as far as The Dicemen are concerned and, without doubt, the comic highlight of Double Six is the hilarious Party For Two. To set the scene, a couple, speculating who the perfect guests at a dinner party would be, ask each other: “If you could have anyone, either living or dead, then who would you choose for the evening instead?” The male partner’s suggestions include Bob Dylan, Morecambe & Wise, Hemmingway (because he likes a drink), Jesus (in case the wine runs out) and Scarlett Johansson (a bit of alright…) whilst the female favours the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Emily Brontë (she wrote something about ‘heights…’), Beethoven and Emmeline Pankhurst. Needless to say, the game deteriorates into an argument, but all is well in the end. It’s all great fun, and there are some impressive guitar licks squeezed in between all the speculation. Who would be on YOUR list?
One of the two singles that have already previewed Double Six, 2020 Vision is an excellent – and incisive – slice of political satire that reviews the events of the year, 2020, with 20/20 hindsight. The predictable (and probably lasting) economic damage caused by leaving the EU, the White House occupation and the disastrous mismanagement of the pandemic by “A man in Downing Street who can’t even comb his hair,” all take a share of the vitriol as Richard sings: “I’ve got 2020 vision and it’s done nothing for me; I’ve got 2020 vision and I don’t like what I see; I’ve got 2020 vision but I can’t see for tears; I’ve got 2020 vision, it’s the worst I’ve seen for years.” It’s all, sadly, true and it’s all, sadly, still with us – but The Dicemen package it all in another upbeat wrapper, with a full sound and an electrifying guitar solo.
As noted, we’ve already come across Church On A Hill, the second of the two singles that preceded Double Six. It’s a beautiful song – a slow march that is wholly in keeping with the sombre subject matter. The song’s poignant lyrics tell the true story of how a young soldier, travelling to join his unit on the Western Front in 1916, spotted the Church of St. Mary’s in Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire from his train window. The memory of that sight provided the soldier with the hope, comfort and inspiration that helped him survive the horrors of the Battle of the Somme. “For me, it was England, for me, it was home,” sings Richard in the song’s refrain. It’s a truly stunning song; without glorification, without triumphalism. It’s just poignant observation.
Next up comes the sticky subject of migration but, with The Migrant’s Lament (Over the Hills), there’s no “Stop the boats” rhetoric. Instead the song’s lyrics focus upon the reasons why migrants feel compelled to leave their homes and their loved ones in the first place, on the hazardous routes they have to follow (through Turkey, Greece and Southern Spain) and the precarious, life-threatening methods of transport they’re forced to use to reach their aspired destinations. The song is “an updated refueling of the traditional folk song, Over The Hills” and features the fiddle of Holly Brandon from The Magpies. Once again, it’s quite a jolly affair, despite the subject matter and lyrics like “If we had a choice, we wouldn’t stray” and “Perhaps a chance to build a life, a home, a job, a son, a wife” do help explain why anyone should risk life and limb in their attempt to reach this cold, unwelcoming, country of ours. But, then again, perhaps The Dicemen are preaching to the converted on this one…
The title to the song, Village Fate, is, emphatically, not a spelling mistake. The song’s lyrics do extol the joys and timelessness of the typical attractions one would find at a fete, before they go on to consider how ageing and vanishing village populations are reflected in the slow death of village traditions and, like the lyrics, the music – a happy, gentle folk tune – accelerates blindly towards its eventual demise.
Described as “a tale of failed romance,” Here And Now is yet another bittersweet song, dressed in a vibrant disguise, loaded with strong English imagery, before we finally return to the subject that set this whole show in motion – the challenges that face small-time musical performers. The story told in Throw Of The Dice, the album’s closing track, is clearly autobiographical but, at the same time, I couldn’t help noticing plenty of metaphorical parallels with other subjects that pervade this album – particularly those that relate to the sorry state we find ourselves in. The lyrics work on both levels. Either way, it’s an irresistible chunk of foot-tapping acoustic rock, great fun and wonderfully self-effacing. Much like the rest of the album, really. Double Six is a triumph.
Watch the official video to The Migrant’s Lament (Over The Hills) – a track from the album – here:
The Dicemen online: Official Website / Facebook / TikTok
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