Three albums in a year? A Dod-dle
Albums round-up: Dodson & Fogg, Dr Dog, Man Man
Published on December 4th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
Join us as we round up three albums we’ve enjoyed of late, from Dodson & Fogg, Dr Dog and Man Man…
Dodson & Fogg – The Call
Dodson and Fogg are both Chris Wade, and this is their/his third album of 2013. No relinquishing quality for quantity, though; preceding LPs Derring Do and Sounds of Day and Night scooped four quails and four and a half quails respectively.
That is to say, yer man Wade’s a bit of a favourite of ours. Transition is but one compelling aspect of his output, a proclivity and flair for psychedelic rock unfurling more so on each subsequent successor to last year’s mystically folky eponymous debut.
Celia Humphris of Trees again features, along with members of Knifeworld and Blood Ceremony. Gone is the fluttery flute work of Hawkwind’s Nik Turner, but then these songs don’t really call for it.
Another bold leap forwards is evidenced straight from the off with the mesmerisingly hallucinatory “Mystery”, followed swiftly by the dimly lit groove of “Watch the Skies”, worthy of Gomez at their best and home to a delightful Pink Floyd style guitar solo.
Suddenly, er, “Suddenly” fires up the acoustic, welcomes in some sitar and weaves a lovely sort of White Album spell, reminding Rocksucker also of Marc Bolan in his more meditative moments.
The variety is consummately hewn: “Late for the Party” is like Blur in stoner rock mode with extra added ax soloing, “I Remember” a gorgeous spread of laid back ‘n’ jangly major 7th chords, “Nothing Can Come Between Us No More” dippy, trippy and brass-infused like some lost Elephant 6 classic.
That’s four Dodson & Fogg albums, and four resounding triumphs. Wade deserves an audience wider still than the one he’s been accumulating.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
The Call is out now and available from the official Dodson & Fogg website.
Dr Dog – B-Room
Psych-tinged ’60s pop is naturally the order of the day on Dr Dog’s eighth album, all strung together by the kind of sunset-splattered romance that gives rise to Fruit Bats as a welcome reference point.
“Distant Light” charms its way with a Lou Reed/Van Morrison sort of vocal delivery, Ringo drum fills and a wonked-out Bowie guitar solo, while the fiddle and banjo-plied dreaminess of “Phenomenon” invokes E6 bands like Beulah and Summer Hymns.
Everything attempted here is nailed, be it tender acoustic number “Too Weak to Ramble” or groovy-as-hell psychedelic party tune “Cuckoo”. It’s just what the Dr ordered, and it’s the Dog’s bollocks.
Rocksucker says: Four Quails out of Five!
B-Room is out now on Anti, Inc.
You can buy B-Room on iTunes and on Amazon.
Man Man – On Oni Pond
Lyrics like “All the old-timers in the neighbourhood swear that you’re cursed with a face people hate / But every single one of them’s an endless variation of Popeye raised on lead paint” are a sure fire way to curry favour on these pages, especially when it’s applied to a dubby swagger that shakes off its own incongruity by being really rather ace.
Are we hearing the words “put your uterus to the ground” on opener “Oni Swan”? Whatever, its barmy barnstorm of blaring organ, rasping rock vocal, sassy brass section and grin-inducing backing vocals makes for a colourful and effervescent blend.
Suffice it to say, we likey.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
On Oni Pond is out now on Anti, Inc.
You can buy On Oni Pond on iTunes and on Amazon.
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About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
