DIY is back, baby: Listen to Dino Gala’s “Fun Fair”

What’s most remarkable about this track is the band’s ability to float so effortlessly into clouds of untethered distortion, then come right back down to earth to deliver a hard-hitting verse.

Out of the slew of new projects emerging from the haze of the pandemic, Boston indie rock band Dino Gala (Martin Kessler, Alex Massey, Bailey Willets, Miguel Aragon, Veronica Bettio) is one to watch. The group’s first release, “run it back / fire escape,” came on the heels of a long stint doing TikTok emo covers, which gained remarkable popularity. Now, just a few months after their debut single, Dino Gala is back with an extremely promising second release.

“Fun Fair” is short and sweet, running about two minutes and containing just a few verses. What’s most remarkable about this track is the band’s ability to float so effortlessly into clouds of untethered distortion, then come right back down to earth to deliver a hard-hitting verse. The song reeks of anger and jealousy, from more subtly scathing lines like “everyone knows your friends” to the explosive “fuck that, I’m so mad.” Kessler’s vocals – deep, throaty, and resonant – anchor the emotion of the track perfectly, and fit right in with the band’s ear-hugging grunge. At the track’s climax, Massey joins in screaming harmony, exuding a delightfully controlled anger. To top it all off, the vocals are supported by a spot-on rhythm section, tied down by Bettio’s perfectly distorted drums. The track shows traces of inspiration from other East Coast fuzz-rock – two bands that come to mind easily are Ovlov and Peaer. All in all, “Fun Fair” is an exciting second release from the fledgling group.