While a two-gendered duo might look suspiciously calculated at first glance, the Dagons have been plying their trade for the better part of a decade now (Reverse is their fourth album), so accusations of cashing in on trends would ring hollow. With Karie Jacobson on vocals and guitar and Drew Kowalski on drums (adding color with electronics and sitar, as well), the Dagons bash out a trusty, honest brand of garage rock. From straightforward ravers like the title track or “Not Enough” to the choppy strums of roughhouse folk ditty “Helium”, the band plows ahead with confidence and personality. Jacobson’s guitar prowess is a bit limited, as her rare solos reveal, but she sings with languid authority, and the absence of a bass is never conspicuous, as Kowalski’s thick wet thwacks hold down the low end nicely. A few noise-and-effects squall tracks pad out the album, but Reverse is an impressive piece of work from a band that deserves more attention than they’ve yet received.

• multiple songs MP3
• multiple songs MySpace