The Dip – Sticking With It (Dualtone Records)
Sticking With It, The Dip’s latest LP and first for Dualtone Records, picks up nicely from 2019’s Delivers, continuing their streak of remarkably satisfying updated takes on soul and R&B.
Recorded and self-produced in their Seattle home studio, the set opens with the previously released, but brilliant “Paddle to the Stars,” which kicks off with a driving drum and guitar combo, with echoes of CCR, before Tom Eddy’s unmistakable vocals come in. “When You Lose Someone,” is another previously released song they added to the record but both fit seamlessly with the others here, for a consist sound.
The band has built a passionate, devote following across the Pacific Northwest mainly from their electrifying live shows, but this album is probably the best yet in terms of trying to capture that live feel in the studio. “It’s really important to us to catch those lightning-in-a-bottle moments when you can feel the momentum of a song taking shape…one of the main goals for the album was to create that feeling of all of us in a room together, instead of worrying too much about everything lining up perfectly,” said drummer Jarred Katz recently.
Those “lightning-in-a-bottle moments” pop up all over the 11 songs here. You can almost hear Eddy’s heart splintering in pieces on “Anyway,” and the band is downright infectious on the stellar “Vacation.” Much like Philly’s Low Cut Connie, The Dip make great use of their backup singers and boast one of the best horn sections working today. While not an even trade for seeing the band live, Sticking With It is the next best thing. And the perfect thing to hold you over until spring when the band heads out on an extensive headlining tour.