Album Review: Dinosaur Pile-Up – Celebrity Mansions

Since the release of their debut album in 2010, Dinosaur Pile-Up has gone from strength to strength and are about to release their newest record ‘Celebrity Mansions’ on 7th June, via the legendary Parlophone Records.

The three tracks already available from the album, Back Foot, Thrash Metal Cassette and Round The Bend, give an interesting insight into what the rest of the album holds and also have been met with a huge reception by both fans and the media.

Thrash Metal Cassette opens the album with a heavy guitar riff that starts off slow, building until the chorus hits, images of mosh pits going through the listener’s mind, a perfect taste of what’s yet to come.

The second track on the album is Back Foot, the bands take on slacker rock mashed up with heavy metal with also a few comedic elements added. Probably the most stand out song on the album for its varied sound and also vocals, featuring almost rapping at points, it’s been giving huge radio play by both Radio X and Radio 1 as well as being supported by the likes of the NME and Kerrang.

The Leeds trio that is Dinosaur Pile-Up have often spoken of their inspirations and how they use these to fuel their music. For their track, ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’ elements of pop-punk have been mixed in heavier rock sound, that match well with the just the right amount of sweet but cheesy lyrics of ‘I want you to want me like I want you.’ A sing-along track, it’s the song that fans won’t be able to help but learn the lyrics to.

Celebrity Mansions, the albums title track, is almost a pausing point in the record, notably slower than the rest. It’s a reflection of their time as a band and their success but they look at the reality although they’ve done well as a band, an Instagram models net worth is still higher. However, it’s the notes of aspiration that make this song, with the inspirational chorus, “my time is coming around,” telling fans they although they’ve done well, they’re going to do even better.

Towards the end of the album, Black Limousine follows the same style as Celebrity Mansions, again another slowed down the track but speeds up as it heads towards the chorus, an emotional, ballad-esc track.

Although it seems the album features it’s heavier songs in the first half, slowing down and injecting emotion after the poignant Celebrity Mansions, Pouring Gasoline and Professional Freak are the exceptions to this, featuring clever, smile-inducing, almost tongue in cheek lyrics, the line “I’m a professional freak” in the latter song standing out especially.
The album ends on an emotional note, with another ballad style song, Long Way Down. However once again the band have done their own take on a ballad, with rock components making their way through. A love song of sorts, lead singer Matt Bigland could also be singing directly to his fans, ‘this is for you, without you I would have been a Long Way Down.

Celebrity Mansions wrap up the listener and takes them on a ride, giving insight into the journey that the band has gone through. A very exposing album, Dinosaur Pile-Up have given it all up, injecting their joys, grievances, and aspirations into the lyrics, whilst keeping things to their true form, this is an album that fans are going to love.

Pre-order the album here: https://www.dinosaurpileup.com/