dozemarypool

Were you the superstitious type, you might be inclined to believe the rumors surrounding Dozmary Pool. You know, the ones that claim this small lake in Cornwall, England, is the home of the Lady of the Lake, the site where King Arthur was passed the sword Excalibur. Depending on the depth of your belief, Dozmary Pool could very well be the stuff of legend.Dozemarypool, on the other hand, is the stuff of lucid dreams. Richly woven, textured, droning, inventive soundscapes that compel attention, perseverance, comprehension. Dozemarypool is a St. Louis trio, deftly melding genres to create an indie-rock hybrid that is both adventurous and vaguely comfortable. Brothers Ryan and Andrew Stoutenbrough front and finish the lineup as singer/guitarist and drummer, respectively, with childhood friend Keith Mangles on bass.There's a bit of a backstory in that, after six years, the trio's just getting around to releasing its first proper CD, Three Pieces. (Dozemarypool's self-titled 2003 debut was actually a collection of EPs, its components tweaked and tinkered with until they were as perfect as humanly possible.) One listen to the new disc, however, proves it was well worth the wait."I don't know if I would say we insist on ‘perfection,'" Ryan says. "It's more making sure it sounds exactly like it's supposed to sound when you originally come up with the song. I would more so call it hard work.""Making music or an album that is perfect to us ensures that what a listener is hearing is exactly what we want them to hear," adds Keith.But while in other hands this drive to rework and refine might grow weary, with these three it results in a refreshing and welcome noise. "We never purposely set out to write music that sounds a certain way," continues Ryan. "We want to do original things, so we try to write something we haven't heard before."Despite a history of hunkering down and tinkering, Dozemarypool has managed to attract more than its share of critical acclaim. A 2004 Riverfront Times piece proclaimed, "Their swirling, distortion-fried music is a combination of great British influences, from their gorgeous Beatlesque songwriting to the fuzzed-out, dreamy guitar work they coat the songs in... Pop has rarely been so noisily perfect." In a review of the first disc, Sauce Magazine raved, "The Western ear has been trained to expect certain moves within songs, and Dozemarypool takes daring, out-of-the-blue turns that elevate the songs and dazzle the listener."In divining the source of his inspiration, Ryan says, "It's always going in my head and if I don't get it out I'll go crazy. As soon as I get one out, others come about."Which means that, despite the wait, the depths have yet to be mined for this brilliant and precise trio. Go ahead and be dazzled; take the plunge into the swirling waters of Dozemarypool. The lovely Lady is waiting for you.