Review: Dodson and Fogg – Derring Do
Published on February 18th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
Rocksucker loved the vintage psych-folk of Chris Wade’s Dodson and Fogg album of last year, and now he’s back with an even better one. Doesn’t this guy ever sleep?
Seriously, though, Derring Do is a revelation, a more confident, varied and lavishly produced outing than its predecessor, and once again we are treated to star turns from Hawkwind’s Nik Turner, Celia Humphris of Trees and Alison O’Donnell of Mellow Candle. The acoustic strums of “Flying High” and “The Leaves They Fall” would appear to carry on from where Dodson and Fogg left off, the latter reminding of Candidate in the way it deploys a light female backing vocal to provide beguiling dissonance at the crucial moment – and what a gorgeous impact it is, too.
“Can’t Hold Me Down” then does good by its title by heralding the arrival of laid-back, sunnily disposed fuzz-pop complete with speak-sing vocal and knowingly groovy riffs. It’s tremendously assured stuff, and Derring Do goes from strength to strength with Colin Jones’s luxurious trumpet lines on “What Goes Around” and “Too Bright”, the latter of which could be a Gruff Rhys song with its introduction of mariachi trumpet to breezy, benevolent psych-pop.
Delights keep on coming: “Dreams of You and Me” is dripping with loungey sophistication, “Like It Was Yesterday” is a great showcase for Wade’s dryly understated vocals, “Everybody Knows” is a sly, pared-back ’60s rocker with some unexpected twists and turns, while “The World Goes By” leads bewitching acoustic arpeggios into a brilliant psychedelic sludge-storm.
This just leaves the charmingly perky shuffle of the title track and minor-key introspection of “Why Not Take Your Time”, et voila: a second LP that builds on the strengths of the first and introduces new ones along the way.
Roll on number three, say we!
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
Derring Do is out now on Wisdom Twins Records. For more information, please visit wisdomtwinsbooks.weebly.com/dodson-and-fogg.html
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