Have you ever felt like you knew a stranger on a far more personal level than you actually did? As if anything said individual would divulge would not be news to you whatsoever? Like you could predict every single plot twist of a teen drama without even knowing the premise of the program? And you simply needed the build-up to jog your memory?
That was my very first impression of Dr. Dog's latest offering We All Belong. With seemingly familiar instances at every turn, the heavily Beatles/Beach Boys influenced album felt like setting foot in a house I had grown up in but had completely forgotten.
Making a slight transition from recording on an eight-track to a 24-track for this album, Dr. Dog gets more adventurous on this release and puts forth a new take on their radiant, fuzzy pop songs. The band makes use of well-placed piano and string sections in addition to richer vocal textures to attain new musical ground and it is presented with great precision and panache. The record kicks off with Old News, a jaunty piano-driven number that sets the tone as the lead and background vocals ebb and flow to create an ethereal yet entirely pungent sound.
The juxtaposition of the light and delicate with the spirited and buoyant is a recurring theme on Dr. Dog's third full-length, as lo-fi almost sluggish verses hand the baton over to livelier choruses.
After the opener comes the first single off We All Belong, as a synth line ushers in My Old Ways. The bare-bones verses pour into a piano-laden bouncy chorus while the band expounds on "The lonely one who's never been alone" before claiming that "I don't ever want to go back to my old ways". A slight curveball is thrown at listeners late in the game with the title track holding the unorthodox position of closer. And We All Belong (the song) plays its part beautifully in concluding the album as the song is ambushed by jaw-droppingly orchestral vocals and marching band-esque percussion for the last 2 minutes or so.
The welcome addition of lush instrumentation to Dr. Dog's repertoire helps fill gaps in a previously stellar yet incomplete sound, which has in turn given the band a chance to finally flourish within (and with any luck, beyond) the indie genre.
Unlike the countless other bands taking cues from 60s pop icons though, Dr. Dog isn't as quick to add contemporary elements to its throwback sound. The end result is an album that really does sound like it could have been released 40 years ago. Sun-soaked melodies over fuzzy distorted guitars paired with witty, acerbic lyrics ("I don't want to die in your arms...I just want to die"- Die Die Die) makes for a winning combination.
In a just world, We All Belong would be a serious contender for album of the year. Long story short, this is what pop SHOULD be.
8.7/10
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