Review Summary: It relies just a bit too much on classic rock nostalgia, but Fates is a fun album by a still-growing indie band.
Like most indie-pop bands, Dr. Dog are very much informed by rock bands from the 60s and 70s. What’s nice about them is that though this album draws a lot of inspiration from The Beach Boys, The Band, and the Beatles, there are a lot of small touches in their fifth album, Fate, that are unmistakably modern - things like sampled drums and keyboards - that allow the band to be more than just another retro indie group.
That being said, one of the problems I have with this album is that at times the band’s sound is just a little bit TOO vintage. Dr. Dog have a habit of relying on nostalgia for a lot of their tunes, and while this works very well for the most part, this overreliance on throwback sounds stops them from finding their own personality as a band – comparisons to The Beach Boys, The Band, The Rolling Stones and possibly other well-known classic rock acts are bound to occur to even the most casual of music listeners.
Luckily, the band has enough personality that they’re able to stand apart from other, less interesting indie-pop bands. Most notably, they’ve got a commanding control over “the hook”, that indescribable quality of music that makes a song get stuck in your head for days after you’ve heard it. These guys clearly know how to write great melodies – I challenge you not to get the “choo-choo train” chorus of From stuck in your head. They’ve got a really nice, smooth quality to their music. The melodies are easily digestible, and the album manages to stay exciting through a variety of styles and moods, adding in occasional off-kilter flourishes like organs, strings, and clarinets.
The standouts here are fantastic. The aforementioned From is absolutely infectious, though not one of the most original songs on the album; Army of Ancients' tremolo-picking guitar part gives it a mariachi feel, and the song contains a powerful vocal performance by singer Eliza Jones; and closer My Friend starts off as a cool jammy number, but evolves into a triumphant, stadium rock-tinged tune.
A couple songs at the tail end of the album are forgettable – 100 Years is a by-the-numbers The Band rip-off, and Uncovering the Old has the coolest intro off of the album, but quickly deflates into a basic indie rocker – but even in these cases, there’s usually one or two interesting things happening; an unusual piano tone, or some neat Wilco-esque noise, or a ticking clock leading into a drum beat.
Overall, Fate is a solid album. It’s filled with some great melodies and neat song structures. At times, its use of nostalgic, 60s/70s rock sounds is a tad overbearing, but the album is just long enough that it doesn’t wear out its welcome. It’s not exactly an album that must be heard, but it's a lot of fun.
Suggested Tracks:
-From
-Army of Ancients
-Hang On
