Rarely do you find a band that can be compared to other artists, with being called a rip-off or copycat. Obvious influences, because of this, can be a either a blessing or a curse. Psychedelic rock band Dr. Dog, however, manages to pull it off. Fate, the band's most recent release, is a perfect example of music that obviously draws from other musicians' styles, but still maintains a certain uniqueness.
For a band that's been around ten years, they haven't really achieved the recognition that they've deserved. Fate really shows the band's progress, opting for a more polished sound than previous releases. Although this is a potential point of criticism for some listeners, it's an obvious step in the development of their sound. The lo-fi feel is not lost entirely however, especially in “Hang On”, an upbeat track that, instrumentally, maintains a perfect amount of grittiness under a contrasting polished vocal track.
During points of this album, I couldn't help but be reminded of other artists. Now, when someone says this for recent music, it's often in a negative way, in a manner saying “All the music sounds the same.” Not this time however. The thing about Dr. Dog is that they seem to have continued the sound of bands that really paved the way for what music is today. Throughout, there's this slight Velvet Underground undertone, most especially in “The Old Days” and “The Rabbit, The Bat & The Reindeer”.
But one track that completely surprised me was “From.” This song features phenomenal vocal harmonies throughout, and a beautifully catchy chorus, that, dare I say it, is comparable to the Beatles. Soundwise, the track can be summarized as the Beatles meets The Raconteurs – a mix of classic and modern.
“The Ark” was the first song that I had heard by Dr. Dog, and continues to be my favorite. Now, it seems like an unusual way to be introduced to a band, whose sound tends to be much different. The psychedelic classification this band brands themselves with really shines on this track, white some heavy Pink Floyd overtones. The vocals are also commendable, both the Beatles-like background harmonies, and the suddenly desperate-sounding lead vocals. The guitar harmonies also give it a nice cool edge throughout the track-a contrast to the rest of the album, but still equally good.
The last track, and also the longest track of the album is “My Friend.” It brings together every facet that the rest of the album contained separately: the upbeat-ness of “The Old Days”, the catchiness of “The Rabbit, The Bat & The Reindeer”, the edginess of “The Ark”, and even a touch of the country sound that “100 Days” contained. Not to mention the harmonies that is so prominent in the album. It serves as a reiteration of what the band is all about, and that's exactly what a good closing song should do.
An album that sometimes receives unfair criticism, Fate really is a nice release. It's something you don't hear every day, and when a band tries to bring something new to the table, and pulls it off, they deserve recognition. Some will argue that the band is changing their production sound for the worse, but it's natural for a band to change somewhat over time. It's a multi-listen album – you've got to hear it a couple times before you really get into it. It's not altogether groundbreaking, musically, but these days, a good pop-rock song is lost on mass produced, auto-tuned artists. And that's what we've got here: a good pop-rock album, heavily influenced by the psychedelic era, with some modern twists. I can't wait to see what Dr. Dog does next.
November 20, 2009
