Album Review: Dr Dog - Be The Void

Be The Void is Dr Dog's sixth studio album since forming in early 2000. Described as a departure from the 'soaring pop' of Shame, Shame, the hooks are still present, however, the band opted for a 'one-take' approach as opposed to the status quo of play, listen, fix, listen formula they and many bands before them are generally accustomed to.

In the same category as other contemporary American folk bands (think the Delta Spirit or Blitzen Trapper) a number of recent additions to the line-up have leant to this album, a mind of enthusiasm that you can hear, like on the string-laden sing-a-long Get Away or the love-song Do The Trick. Lonesome's deep-fried chicken sound and slide-guitar sneaks in at number one and is a kick-back to Friday afternoon jams with mates but instead of a tinny of VB and some Snags, they're drinkin' bourbon and eatin' wings.

While the ideas are many and the potential is there, the songs themselves never reach their full potential and end up as throw-away, meandering from one subgenre to another, but it's really just folk-pop that tries its best to be indie rock, never quite shaking the lure and temptation of the Billboard 100. That's not to say the music isn't well-recorded or lacking in expert musicianship and vocal harmonies etcetera, it's just a frustrating listen – given what the band have been shown to be capable of in the past – and it will be difficult for the band to justify booking a ticket back to the Southern Hemisphere on this effort alone.