Dauber
Falling Down
(Dromedary Records/State Champion Records)
Hudson’s Dauber blasts out of the speakers like a runaway freight train; insistent power pop hooks, pile-driving drums, and noise-bleeding production values. Dauber is the latest project of former Screaming Females bassist Mike Abbate, here on lead guitar and vocals and ably abetted by Jenna Fairey (drums) and Quinn Murphy (bass). Too often, the pop-punk genre sounds sanitized on record, emphasizing the well-rounded edges of the former while lacking the grittiness of the latter. Close your eyes while listening to Dauber and you’ll be absorbed by the sweaty, chaotic energy of a punk-rock dive bar. Songs like “Idle Mind,” “Holding You Back,” and “Memory Lane” are all durably constructed compositions, played with aggressive abandon and just enough space for a concise guitar solo. Falling Down never wears out its welcome, with a blitz of 13 songs in under 30 minutes.
This article appears in August 2025.
