Shadow People – Dr. Dog Shadow People – Dr. Dog
Shame, Shame by Dr. Dog is the band’s 6th full-length record, and their first since the summer of 2008. Dr. Dog is not your typical indie rock band in the sense that they do not a lot of things that will blow your mind with originality. By the same token, they have created such good music for the better part of a decade, that they have blossomed from a small band. Formerly only known for their Philadelphia-centric roots, they became an opening band on national tours in 2006 and 2007, and are currently on a national tour which will be going on this spring. That will be followed by a European tour in late May. They’ll also be at Bonnaroo in mid-June.
Those who like contemporary indie rock, influenced by classic rock of the late 1960s and early 1970s, will really like the sound of Shame, Shame. Their sound is very similar to that of Pavement’s in the sense that there is a strong underlying lo-fi harmony that was originally created by the rebellious rock n’ roll phase of the original hippie music era. This album is sure to please with one complete track followed by another.
The first single released from the album, Shadow People, is the record’s highlight. With a beginning that sounds like a carbon copy of She Don’t Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips, it’s a catchy hook into a song that sounds completely original from that point forward. The song (and album for that matter), asks a series of rhetorically existential questions. For example, the lyrics in Shadow People; “Where did all the shadow people go?” are followed by the title of another track, Where Did All the Time Go? Drummer and vocalist, Scott McMicken, explains on the band’s website that Shadow People is really a “full-on West Philly diary”. Jackie Wants A Black Eye is a track written with a lot of personal angst and emotion in it, explains McMicken, also on the band’s website. All 11 tracks are individually strong both musically and lyrically, and uplifting in some form whether they just put you in a good mood, or they send a positive message.
The major thing Shame, Shame lacks is originality. There is nothing that you could look back on and consider “musically adventurous.” For a band that considers The Beatles to be one of as their major influences, there is something rather hypocritical about being conservative in its approach. Dr. Dog has not pioneered anything with this effort, and because of that, the band may not receive the accolades it deserves for the record. I give the record a 3.5 out of 5 for being an extremely solid record, that lacks a “wow” factor.
