Tangents & The Times

The Jam: Dr. Dog’s Fate

Pick over fresh frequencies and rinse under cool water. Lightly crush sun-ripened berries with poetic aphorisms and kind ideology. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, simplicity and new sounds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often with warmhearted melodies and clean beats. Share with loved ones.

Tastes a Lot Like: Raspberry-Lemon Jam- sweet but not without a perfectly delectable amount of sour. Tastes like a summer day with friends, laughing from noon through dusk until it ends under the stars with a couple joints, light philosophical banter and a doo-wop sesh or two around the campfire. Yum.

With just enough time to soak up Passed Away, Volume One and some sunshine, Dr. Dog is releasing their fifth full length Fate- a fitting title for the album that was heralded as “the album they always wanted to make”.
If we look at the progression of Dr. Dog, the jump from 2007’s We All Belong to 2008’s Fate sounds like a small one- especially in comparison to say their first full length Toothbrush to their second, Easy Beat. But why mess with a good thing? Fate is consistent with Dr. Dog’s nineteen-sixties-flash-back sound they perfected on We All Belong.
The lo-fi static that is prominent of their early work has dissipated completely. One might be afraid that this would affect their music, which it has in a very positive way. Dr. Dog has embraced modern aesthetics to accentuate their vintage sound. Lush with incredible Beatle-esque harmonies, they pair such clean, soothing vocals with clean tracks full of strings, horns and organs… you know, your basic Dr. Dog entrée. Which is exactly why I listen to them- because they sound like Dr. Dog. They’ve done right by themselves: boosted the quality without losing the ‘tude.
One of my favorite things about Dr. Dog’s music is their portrayal of problems and solutions. There is always a sense of comfort in everything. In a completely unobtrusive fashion, they present a set of beliefs and a way of living- live, love, be happy, empathetic and wise. Yes, life will always have its fair share of altercations but there is always an answer and there are no absolutes. An entire song about a disappointing friendship ends on the note that it is still a choice, “Are you my curse or are you my friend?” Talk of one being away is only teamed with the expression of their hearts being inseparable. Or God calling him son only to tell him he isn’t his son at all with such a sense of love it resonates true wisdom. Everything is and isn’t and in the end, it’s all right because somewhere there is a creek you and your loves can go barbeque.
Set to be released on the 22nd, Fate is accompanied by a special edition 7-inch when bought at a wide array of record stores across the country. Fun fact: The album cover art is directly correlated with a picture of Bonnie and Clyde! Wowzers! Dr. Dog is also touring vigorously over the next couple months- staying in the US up until November when they cross the pond.

For an intimate look at Dr. Dog, check out my interview with Taxi in March.