Crown the Empire are most likely contractually-obligated to produce a new record every 2-3 years. They got away with an 'acoustic/live' album to probably fill the void between 2019 and now, but things have caught up it seems. Just like "Sudden Sky", "DOGMA" borrows a few singles they've released between then as part of the track listing (easy cheat option), and even ushers in the return of some songs feeling like they're fodder to fill a 10-track count (looking at you 'DOGMA', 'Superstar', and 'Paranoid'). 'In Another Life' works as a whole, but that was a previously released tune. Perhaps of the new additions, 'Black Sheep, and 'Somebody Else' function the best, but they're still so far below what this group even remotely used to be. Admittedly, "Retrograde" is still their best album to date, but the secret of the group not even writing that one remains slightly disappointing to this day. Still, at least "Retrograde" was infectiously enjoyable; did they not write "DOGMA" as well? Maybe it's time to shift gears with songwriters, or maybe it's time to write your own music. At this point, trying anything would be a good first step.
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