Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Release Day: Dr. Dog — Fate w/MP3

Dr. Dog - "The Old Days" - mp3
We have to give it up to these fellas from Philly for their rapid rise to fame over the past two plus years. After landing a key supporting slot on the Raconteurs tour in 2006, Dr. Dog hit the circuit hard behind their excellent record, We All Belong. Today marks the release of their third record, Fate.

Produced and recorded by the band in their North Philadelphia studio, Dr. Dog continues to channel the bright, freewheeling Americana of The Band, while relying heavily on McCartney- influenced-blues howls circa the Abbey Road era. Driven more by pulsing upright piano than guitars, Fate has a warmer sound than We All Belong. Ultimately, it's the quality of writing that stands out on this record. While We All Belong captured the energy and personality of Dr. Dog, it was at times uneven and failed to stand together as a whole.
More on Fate After the Jump...

Although we're still in early listens here, Fate comes across as focused and centered. The songs and vocals have a continuity to them that makes the album easily digestible in one sitting — this is a good thing.

What's truly refreshing about this band is the fact that their music doesn't sound anything like most marketplace staples today. Perhaps it's their youthfulness or the true joy in their playing that shines through, but Dr. Dog never sounds jaded or stale. Embraced by everyone from jammy festival-goers to the indie press to Rolling Stone, Dr. Dog is poised for a breakthrough in 2008-09.

More to come from this record and Dr. Dog later. They play the Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg July 23 and 24 respectively.


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