Philadelphia natives (and yes, I have seen them live), Dr. Dog have slowly and steadily been making a reputation with mellow, lo-fi "indie" rock for years. Well, it might be labeled as indie rock but that's just because it's too complicated to say they're psychedelic blues rock meets classic '60's pop. "The Breeze" isn't the most overwhelming album opener, but it sets the mellow tone the album will maintain and uses some interesting flute instrumentation near the end. "Hang On" introduces the bluesy tone and smattering of country which will dominate the album, including some well-placed harmonica work and gospel vocals. It also sports some of the best content lyrically: "and what you thought was a hurricane was just the rustling of the wind/why do you think we need amazing grace just to tell it like it is?/ oh I don't need no doctor to tear me all apart/I just need you to mend my heart."
"Old Days" is another album highlight, with snare drums layered over by far-off vocals, shakers, and other strange percussion, supplemented by a piano hook in a fuzzy psychedlic folk fusion. It's astounding how much they achieve without traditional instrumentation. "Army of Ancients" is for the true blues-lover tinged with some NRBQ-esque jazz. "The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer" is the catchiest song on the album, a piece of excellent piano-driven druggie pop, while "The Ark" is a close second and the darkest song on the album in tone. It opens with mean, driving guitars which demand your attention, and again that military snare; the lyrics are also some of the best of the album: "God, he called for rain/so I built an ark but no rain came/I was ashamed...Love, she asked for more/but what I gave only made her poor." This is the only real rock on the album, but it shines beautifully and it's much rawer than the other tracks.
"From" is a relaxed, trippy love ballad, appreciable for its slow build and rooted in folklore lyrics. Lyrically the album is superior as it strays from the beaten path to express love and friendship in unconventional ways, works with random images like trains and trees, and delves into folklore, large thematic concepts, and even biblical references. This strength is particularly evident in "100 Years," which explores mortality and slavery in a tall tale manner: "About 100 years from now I'm going to marry you out of common sense/and get out from behind this plow."
"Uncovering the Old" is a solid album contribution, but not particularly remarkable compared to earlier tracks. "The Beach" comes closest to the sharp guitars and attitude of "The [brilliant] Ark," and sports the lyrics from which came the album title. Album closer "My Friend" cleverly weaves together the whole album, starting with a country-tinged opener and using themes from all the songs, or refering lyrics from the other tracks. It ends perfectly with the sound of a train pulling away. This is an album which took a while to grow on me, but it will stay with me the rest of my life. Highly recommended for all ages.
-elln
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