Girl at the Rock Shows

It’s the Monday before Christmas. That means that work is a bit nutty as we try to push out orders before. the end of the year but it also means that motivation is lacking as I try to get into the holiday spirit and come to terms with the fact that I’m going home for the first time in a year and a half. Don’t get me wrong, I’m stoked to go back home and see my parents and some old friends but leaving my space is just stressful on me. What does this all mean? It means I’m going to try and ignore everything and just dive into some new music head first. You’re welcome. First up on my ever-growing stack is ‘SWAN DIVE PITY PARTY’ from DOGDAD

This seven song EP wastes no time with introducing you to DOGDAD’s distinct sound. The opening track, “Hands on a Hardbody”, starts off with a bassline that will instantly get stuck in your head before the garage rock styled vocals and everything else comes in to take this song off into the aether. This song seems to build and build with a sense of tension that somehow also comes off as comforting. You aren’t quite sure how it’s all going to come to a head but you know, throughout this song, it’s coming and, when it hits, it hits hard. The track instantly goes from a classic garage rock/ post-punk vibe to something much more intense with a sense of fury taking over the track towards the end that is as powerful as it is surprising. The only thing more surprising is how this track suddenly ends but the song has done it’s job, “Hands on a Hardbody” had me hooked and wanting so much more from DOGDAD.

The intensity that ends “Hands on a Hardbody” continues into “Dewar’s Good Time” but it takes a new form. The vocals are just as intense yet the instrumentation has an almost twinkling element to it. There’s something about this second track that reminds me a bit of 90s alt-rock like Third Eye Blind at times but, at the same time, that’s such a poor comparison. The ebb and flow of this track is definitely in contrast to the epic build in the first song yet it relates back to it in a great way. I love the angst and energy in this second song and it was instantly a favorite of mine.

Just when I thought I had figured out DOGDAD with their 90s alt-rock inspired post-punk sound, the change the game on me with “Know Me Better”. This song is infectious almost like a pop song but it’s far from something you would hear on the radio. A clashing cymbal emphasizes the beat at the beginning of this track giving the song that sense of tension that you got in the opening track but, instead of a constant build, this song falls into a catchy little bop that seems to showcase this band’s versatility. There’s a curveball in this track that is absolutely epic but I’m not going to give it away. This track is only three minutes long. Take the time and listen to it.

I honestly thought that “Hospice”, the fourth song on this album, was going to be a bit of a ballad. I mean, the band has already shown so many sides of their sound that it would only make sense and, with a song title like that, who can blame me for thinking that? Instead, you get more angst in the style of DOGDAD. that being said, there is something a bit tender in some of the vocals here that I absolutely loved. You can feel emotion dripping from each word throughout this song. Although there’s a clear chorus to this track, I love that it’s hard to say that the chorus comes with more passion than the rest of the song. This is something that bands tend to forget. You put your heart and soul into a chorus but let everything else fall to the wayside. Not DOGDAD. They play this song with all of their heart from the very beginning to the very end.

The beat in “The Orchard” is super cool. It reminds me a bit of At the Drive In. It’s syncopated with the bolder beats hitting on unpredictable counts. Add an almost dizzying guitar part and fast paced drums and you are left with a song that is on the verge of being anxiety inducing but never quite goes that far. I love how DOGDAD shows a sense of restraint in this song while making sure that every beat throughout this three and a half minute song comes with as much as they can fit into it. I know I said that “Dewar’s Good Time” was my favorite on this album but “The Orchard” definitely put up a fight.

Did you expect an almost folk moment from this band based on what I’ve said thus far? Me neither but that’s what you get with the beginning of “Ouroboros”. It was honestly a bit surprising how smooth the vocals are at the beginning of this track but I loved how it really shows the vocal talent here. That’s not to say that the talent isn’t evident throughout this album because it is, it’s more that it really gets showcased here. This sixth song reminds me a bit of BoySetsFire. That may be a bit of an obscure reference for some of you but, if you know, you know and it will make sense as you get into this track more and more.

Ending this brilliant work of art is the title track, “Swan Dive Pity Party”. DOGDAD really pulls out all of the stops for this final song. The beginning of the track reminded me of Incubus which is a whole new sound compared to the rest of this album but, as the song moves on, you feel the group’s signature bleeding heart style of passion. At five minutes long, this is the longest track on the album but it’s still not long enough. Okay, that’s not true. It’s the perfect length because this song tells a story through and through but, as it came to an end, I couldn’t help but wish it had been at least three hours longer because I wanted so much more from DOGDAD.

DOGDAD is based all the way down in Austin, Texas. After my experience in that state earlier this year, I can say with certainty that I never want to go back (long story short, I had a miserable experience as a Midwestern ginger at an outdoor music festival in Texas in late July– I know, I should have known better) but, after listening to ‘SWAN DIVE PITY PARTY’ from DOGDAD, I can’t help but wonder if I shouldn’t suck it up and make another trip down there just to see them perform live. If their live performances provide half the amount of emotion that I got from this album, I absolutely have to experience it for myself.

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