Battlemouth

I’m not sure why this album stood out to me for a review. I shuffled through a few records and found it. I had never heard of Dr. Dog before, and at first or second listen their influences seem bizarre and varied and distant. I mean it’s fairly simple music they’re making here, simple progression makes way for a little bit more complex harmonies and some chorus work. It’s certainly hard to pinpoint exactly. it’s a familiar, sixties-ish sound, with tendencies toward artists like bright-eyes or even Hanson (not ‘96 Hanson, more like ‘05 Hanson.)

I can hardly say that it’s something for anybody. There’s almost no real themes past the beatles-like choral lines and harmonies. There’s certainly something to be said of it, the pluck and fuzz of a guitar and the vibratto of an organ and a simple 4/4 drum, that it’s a sound that most can listen to with a nostalgic ear. But what relevance or weight or lack there of, can be gathered from it? I’m not sure. What sort of group of people might this appeal to?  Beats the hell out of me. This album, albeit interesting, is mediocre.

At least bands like Hanson, who I’m starting to feel this band emulates closest, have something they can call their own. There’s a little Mercury Rev in there too, which is really strange considering the last sentence. Their sound varies wildly from track to track, and is wholly unpredictable, and overall I can’t recommend buying it.