Dickens have existed for over 20 years, and through this time the trio have gained considerable experience in bringing listeners a rather hefty value of entertainment with their blend of pop and punk in a fiery Mexican Spanish. Their latest album Marionetaz is a great introduction into a well-crafted world of rich flavors and vivid colors. Let’s find out more.
Dickens are a trio of the timeless guitar/bass/drums format that hails from Esperanza, Mexico. Having existed as Dickens since 2001, spearheaded by Hector Avalos, the band have well proven themselves as a consistent and reliable force in the region’s independent music scene, and listening to Marionetaz, an album with a handful of outstanding offerings, and a continuous stream of exceptional quality, on musical and engineering terms, we come face to face with what makes Dickens a special band worth celebrating.
While punk has always been, and still is, a polarizing sound that you either get or you don’t, Dickens excel in making punk accessible and easy to appreciate. Their songs are lighthearted, full of enjoyable hooks, memorable melodies, and vocals that deliver the manic energy you’d expect from a punk trio, remaining throughout the album equally universal in their pop approach to writing their songs, and true to their original sound as a punk band.
The album kicks off with ‘Somos Como Marionetz’, a blitz of overdriven riffs and breakneck grooves interspersed with the manic yelps of the punk vocals. The song is immediate in its impact and is a lovely sound to lose yourself to. The drums are punchy and present, the bass is a reliable backbone that does not challenge or shy from the spotlight, and the guitars are just exceptional. ‘Segundos de Verdad’ sounds arena-ready. With its 80s-themed guitar and keyboard-led motifs and potently emotive chord sequences, this song introduces a melodious and softer side to the trio right from the get-go of the album, confidently stating that the band has a wide range of sounds at their disposal.
‘Music Rock’ returns to the pure pop punk territory with more hasty paces and riffs that are brimming with motion. The following ‘Muero al Despertar’ is melodic and sweet. The distorted bass thumping in the background was especially fun to pay attention to in contrast to the restrained guitars and saccharine keyboard motifs. A colorful piece that intentionally disintegrates in its middle in a memorable bridge that’s expertly executed. The pop-heavy sound continues on the following ‘Marian’, a sweet and colorful ballad-like offering with slow and heartful croons. One of the album’s most direct and familiar sounding offerings, and subsequently one of its most accessible and easy to love.
Standing out in the album’s latter half is ‘Tek Tack’. A simply joyful piece of pop punk with fantastic use of vocal harmonies and a short, fiery guitar solo that makes the song one of the album’s most memorable. The album’s penultimate cut ‘Kaliman’ sounds like the album’s most involved and intricate. With its nuanced introduction with guitar harmonics, its subdued mix that favors atmospheric, clean guitar arpeggios rather than flamboyant punk riffing, and its time-twisting chorus section, it is the album’s most ambitious song, and it effortlessly hits the mark. The restrained vocals in particular are a fresh addition at this point in the album, and its guitar wails are very impactful.
After a thoughtful, slow, and deliberate closer ‘Los Barcos del Dolor’, the band concludes its immersive journey as the Marionetaz, bringing their album to a satisfying closing that will take some time to wash off. Dickens’ Marionetaz is a vivid album and a very balanced listen that is executed with soul, passion, and to a great degree of attention to detail. The results are a handful of easily lovable songs that are a fantastic introduction to the catalog of this veteran outfit.
