Dr. Dog
Fate
(Park the Van, 2008)

As a Philly girl, I’ve had a chance to watch Dr. Dog grow slowly for a long time, grabbing more toeholds nationally with each release and a relentless touring schedule. They were not the only band from our city of their generation to be proclaimed ‘The Next Big Thing,’ but they are so far the only one for which that prophecy came true. There’s an easy explanation for their success, and it goes along the lines of the old music industry adage: If you can’t sell out a venue in your hometown, you can’t sell one out in someone else’s.

As they’ve grown in popularity and critical praise, Dr. Dog have not stopped connecting to their home city or allowing their music to be nourished by the Philadelphia vibe. Their newest Americana opus, Fate, is an example of hometown loyalty that other bands on the rise should take note of, and as a result it echoes hauntingly with the ghosts of musical history and comes across with a beautiful honesty that makes it unforgettable. It is the same wide-eyed world wonder and consistent voice that pervaded their entire back catalog of six releases, especially their last two full-lengths Easy Beat (2004) and We All Belong (2007), and jettisoned them into the position of ’saviors of music.’

The songs on Fate are warm and homey and true, and the Dr. Dog members’ aesthetic as people shines through it; they are genuine guys, talented and deeply respectful of their musical influences. The tracks are summery and Southern-fried and early-American themed, and the dual frontman/songwriter method of Dr. Dog’s Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman gives the songs the slight diversity that keeps the record interesting front to back (McMicken’s tracks tend to be folkier, while Leaman’s lean toward the rockier side).

As Fate opens with the front porch-plucked guitars of “The Breeze”, lyrics such as “Put that needle to the groove and sing” set the simple and sweet mood, and harmonied ooohs and ahhhs form a soulful chorus. Leaman’s smoky growl on “Hang On” propels the album forward, leading to a headfirst dive into Fate’s instant classic track “The Old Days”, an orchestral sing-a-long that bounces and dips like an exciting and dramatic dance.

“The Ark”’s fuzzy guitars and eerie bassline bring a dark element to Fate with biblical lyrics like a modern-day raindance, creating an appealingly ethereal midpoint for Fate. The piano hits, sparkly banjo lines, and arpeggiated flutes on “My Friend” chug like a freight train (an actual train is heard ending the album), while “Army of Ancients” glides with soul horns and slow-paced vocals that waver and build into gristly howls.

Despite all the attention Dr. Dog has received over the past four years, they have stayed devoted to their longtime label, Philadelphia indie curators Park the Van, and to their North Philadelphia studio, and are now being rewarded for their allegiance with an every-increasing band of loyal fans and an ever-maturing catalog of gorgeous music.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

More articles like this:

The Switchback: Wear Your Beatles on Your Sleeve: Dr. Dog vs. Oasis

Folk Rock Ensemble Port O’Brien Changes Course

Album review: Langhorne Slim, self-titled