The Resurrection of a Thylacine is Dumaresq’s new album, holding a strong concept and an intricate and precise narration. Review.
THE RESURRECTION OF A THYLACINE – DUMARESQ
Playing with creation, stepping dangerously close to hubris, is what the main character – a fascinated and fascinating scientist – decides to do. Through this concept album named The Resurrection of a Thylacine, Dumaresq (pronounced dju-merick) questions life, death, their limits, and the human capacity to defy the impossible. The Australian artist makes it happen through gripping composition, and I recommend listening to them with eyes closed to let their subtilities grow in the air. The multi-instrumentalist is behind all these sounds, apart from the cello, left in the hands of Georgia Shine. If they’re smart, these songs also let darker shades wrap the heart of our protagonist from the very first notes of Proteome.
Then, piqued by curiosity, the scientist wants to recreate a thylacine, a Tasmanian tiger or wolf, a species now extinct because of human beings. The resurrection of the animal is an obsession and raises some ethical questions. Doubt, anxiety and research are walking along the utopic idea of doing it right. The scientist – like many humans – dreams of a Lazarus phenomenon and ends up naming it so before freeing it. Curiosity in Absent Pixel, some punk riffs on Reverse Lottery, the initial softness followed by the might of Blood Brain Barrier… sound and narration evolve. The result is refined, tender, and powerful.
Roaring and its folk accent is followed by a heavy and experimental rock atmosphere with Maze In A Maze. And the combination is impressive, and just from the narrative standpoint. The Coil follows with its own screaming surprises at its core, surrounded by softness. The scientist’s intentions are getting blurry. Whelping Box and Heavy Air, Heavy Water are sounds of freedom for Lazarus. The tone gets softer. Pyrrhus and its pretty rock riffs could be the next single, though it’s close to the end. Lastly, the melancholia and humanity of the two beings can be found in West and Remedies, closing the record with some acoustic melodies. From changing the vocals’ textures to the musical narration, it’s an impressive opus. The Resurrection of a Thylacine is a story that will not leave you indifferent, and a wonderfully realized concept by Dumaresq. Sublime!
