Dimmer – Degrees of Existence
Rating: 1/10
Reviewer: Leah Garcia-Purves
Recently, I decided to take some time out from reading my absolutely riveting case study on the Saxonville Sausage Company and have a listen to the latest droppings of our local artists.
The excretion that had been so kindly laid in my lap was Dimmer’s acclaimed new album, Degrees of Existence. Frontman and NZ music legend, Shayne Carter had spent a year in the studio chewing the cud; digesting his musical genius into a pulp and then sorting out the nutritious from the dangerous, subsequently spurting out crap.
Dimmer has always come across as a bit of a “meh” band. Being somewhat of a pioneer of local genres, the band gave the rest of the neo-Kiwi music scene a reputation for being pants shatteringly dull. But hey, I’m always up for reinvention, so I figured it was worth a listen.

Write ups from Dimmer’s label promised the album to be somewhat of an aromatic smelling offering, when it was in fact a putrid defecation. Not due the fact that it was particularly bad or good – it was neither. It was boring.

The New Zealand relevant lyrics, like their  title track about people going on OE’s, “o send me a letter from somewhere amazing that’s not so amazing that you swear is better” are okay, but the repetitive sounds and tones are just, well, repetitive. “Too Far to Care” boasts the backing vocals from Anna Coddington, but instead of enhancing the track and maybe adding pizzazz, the album retains its boring lull.

This album could be an ideal aural sedative for a nana nap. Spanning almost 55 uninteresting minutes, I quite possibly hit retirement while enduring this album.
Alas, I thought I could be captivated by Dimmer’s so-called legendary artistry, but the band has retained their reputation to bore audiences into their golden years. Cheers, Dimmer