By: David Edscorn
Visiter, the second LP from The Dodos begins unobtrusively with the sweetly banjo-laden "Walking." Right as you think that this is just another indie-folk band riding in the wake of Iron & Wine's success, they smack you across the face with "Red and Purple." This track takes everything you thought that folk was and throws it out the window. It's here that the Dodos establish their belief that acoustic instruments can rock just as hard, if not harder, than
electric ones. From here on out the album is a journey through what exactly these instruments can do, and more importantly, what these two young men from San Francisco can do. Meric Long switches between delicate picking and rapid machine-gun-paced strumming of guitars, while Logan Kroeber gives the drums plenty of energy but never allows them to dominate the show (although they certainly drive "It's That Time Again"). The lyrics delivered by Long are packed full of emotion, even if their meaning isn't always discernable. "Fools" starts off sounding like it belongs on the Braveheart soundtrack, then turns abruptly into a fun upbeat romp. Other highlights include the gentle folksy "Undeclared" (which showcases Long's impressive falsetto), and the unplugged anthems "Paint the Rust" and "God?" The latter is an appropriately powerful album closer, smooth and epically driving at the same time. Visiter might not be an album that will change the music industry, but it certainly challenges the definitions of music that have been set forth, and is therefore definitely worth a listen. 8 out of 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment