Fate-haters barking up the wrong tree

by Dan Gephart in Album Reviews, New Releases, Reviews

It seems kind of odd to use the word ramshackle to describe a band as solid musically as this Philly-based group. But it’s really the only adjective that fits.

Continuing to build on last year’s wonderful We All Belong, the Dog plies its unique lo-fi retro-rock vision to 11 more songs on Fate. With their lo-fi approach, songs seem to fit together well, but it’s not a well-oiled machine. They kind of creak. And therein lays Dr. Dog’s charm. Those who wrongly diss the band, and there are quite a few (Pitchfork gave Fate a very mediocre 5.5), are obviously missing out on that charm.

There is no escaping the ubiquitous comparison to the Beatles. One only has to listen to The Ark and its recurring I Want You/She’s So Heavy guitar riff.  But the Dog also nods to the post-Beatles. Certain songs are reminiscent of John Lennon’s solo work. And harmonies and backing vocals will make you think you’re listening to Sir Paul’s Wings. But it’s when Dr. Dog is playing its Band cards that it really excels.

The moment when they most held up the Band’s mantle was We All Belong’s Alaska, which I thought was the best song I heard last year. (On the Distractions Top Album List of 2007, We All Belong finished behind only Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky.)

The closest Dr. Dog comes to a song that memorable on Fate is the album closer My Friend, which starts off with a Jack White-like guitar and takes a sudden turn midway, segueing with a piano bounce straight off ELO’s Out of the Blue.  But there are other memorable songs throughout, and Fate is destined to make it back to my Top 10 list again this year.

Guitarist/songwriter Scott McMicken told Vanity Fair that the songs on Fate were written over several years. You’d never know. Little musical themes reappear at times. And numerous songs touch on weighty subjects, such as God, war and age.

Plenty of “cool” bands these days are derivative — you just need to know what you should be copying. But Dr. Dog seems oblivious to what’s hip. They’re just playing “good music” in their own ramshackle way.