Available at a record store near you. Courtesy of Digjelly.com

Can You Dig It?

By Herden A. Daza

Photographic evidence that grrrls DO rock. Courtesy of Digjelly.com

Just when you thought you'd heard all that rock had to offer, Dig Jelly serve up a twist that catches the listener off-guard and manages to raise a few eyebrows in the process. The dense bar-chord barrage familiar to connoisseurs of nu-metal thrashes and seethes beneath the timbre of Japanese born sparkplug Rayko, vocalist and rhythm guitarist. On their latest release, "For Your Inner Angry Child," Rayko weaves her way through, over and around the wall of sound unleashed by her bandmates. The result is a murky, solid jaunt certain to shake a few things loose.

The songs cover the usual spectrum of emotions reserved for high-decibel catharsis. A betrayal of trust, a heated quarrel, and feelings of inadequacy are all given life on the album as the guitars are pummeled and drum skins pulverized in unison. The disc begins with Rayko persuading the listener "…go my way," the spoken-word intro to "Jaded," and trickles onto a palm-muted cadence. Here, the listener gets their first taste of the singer's emotion-laden wail, an attraction that is not consistent on the whole disc. Interspersed within and between, Rayko delves into a whiny staccato "rap" accompanied by a two-guitar, drummer on crank assault, with a few exceptions that prove to be more accessible. Examples of the aforementioned can be found on the tracks, "3karmice," "The Ultimate," and "Forgiveness," where she pops and howls in a manner that can only be truly appreciated by an aficionado of the genre.

While her delivery is, at times, questionable, there are more than a few jewels on this outing that make it worthy of a serious listen. The first such musical endeavor comes toward the end of the album, entitled "Inside Out." Bounding and wailing about a dream that may be too good and the inner conflict it brings, this song demonstrates Rayko and Dig Jelly's sultry, flirtatious commercial potential. With "Too Deep," the only track that remotely resembles a ballad, the minor-inflected lead paces with Rayko's fiery vocals, which finally dissolve into chaos as the end grows near. For a quick fix of punk power, jump to the third track, "Broken Trust," and lace up your Chucks, because you will move to this song.

Overall, the listening experience is fresh, maybe a bit too fresh, for the patience of this reviewer. While heavily fuzzed-out guitars and intermittent swipes from a DJ may be all the rage, on this disc the combination can be a bit tedious. Add to this the introspective, esoteric nature of the lyrics and you have a record that is perfect only for the moments in life when love is lost, but serves adequately for the time between lovers.
Dig Jelly will be appearing on October 22nd 9:00 PM at the Knitting Factory (21+) and also October 31st at the Hard Rock Café at Universal Citywalk (21+), $10 prepaid, $15 at the door.

For more information, please visit www.digjelly.com

October 10, 2003