DOGPARK
CORPORATE PUDDING
REVIEW WRITTEN BY JOE COMPTON
With a thought from JD ESTRADA
JD Estrada's thoughts on the album: Dogpark has that early 2000s indie rock feel to it. A little bit of the Strokes, a dash of the Hives, maybe a sprinkling of the best the Vines has to offer, or even The Killers (without the pretentiousness). One listen to the EP, and I can easily imagine they already have a small but growing fanbase with cardboard signs they hold in the front row. This is a fun EP with tight hooks, plenty of swag, and potential galore. It won’t convert people to rock and roll, but if you LIKE Rock and Roll, and indie rock at that, there’s a LOT to enjoy, and I’ll be the first to buy a ticket to a live show if I’m ever in the neighborhood.
Are you ready for a late 90s/2000s revival? That's a weird thing to say, considering the number of decades this reviewer has personally been listening to music, and how not-so-long-ago this time period feels, but DogPark hits you in the feels the way bands like The Strokes, Interpol, and OK Go! used to, and yet there is something different about their approach that brings them beyond even those iconic bands of that ERA.
What you first notice right away, past the blistering and immense guitar work of Billy Apostolou and Declan Harris, more on their efforts in a moment, is the harmonizing that occupies the deep riches of a 6 song EP to the point where it hardly leaves you once the song ends.
There is not only something about Eamon Moore's presentation both vocally and lyrcially but you feel like he is giving you everything and making sound os effortless in doing so. Very much akin to Richard Patrick (Filter) or John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) where he doesn't raise the vocal to empathize, he instead uses it to capture the feeling of the song.
Catchy hook choruses and a lot of great interludes flood this selection of songs, but by no means does that formula define or keep Dogpark in a box. If anything, they challenge the listener to define which box they are climbing out of. You may hear this influence or that influence if you spend enough time learning the lyrics sheet and just letting the catchiness and anthem-like rhythms sweep you out you come to quickly enjoy this effort.
Here is my track to track review...
1. DIALTONE - There is right away a nice, solid rhythm going here, and great snare drumming from Christian Conte that sets a blistering pace. You can feel Eamon grasping control when he fashions a nice vocal shift, but its never intruding on the pacing, which I love. It feels more organic to my ears. I love the old school radio voice backing vocals here too. This is a great start and a song that will permeate my playlist for the year. It is their sing along anthem that everyone in the audience can indulge in and enjoy.
2. I DON'T MIND - Here is what I feel like starts to really show up the rest of the way in the album: this dueling guitar effect that Billy and Declan have. It's really great at tone changes, but more over its really great to shift our energy in. Again, nothing is intruding on the pacing or the flow, it's very organic and mixed flawlessly. This is where Eamon kind of gives a little Chris Robinson-esque vibe with the way he vocalizes while setting a sharper cadence here, almost Too Hard To Handle vibes. Which is kind of funny because you really fall into that 2000s sound that makes this band so comparable to some of its predecessors. There is a really cool bridge shift that happens in this one too, that brings it all full circle. Another track I could see being a part of future random playlists for me this year.
3. DANELION - Gives us the band's first genre flip, as we start off with this great, almost new wave riff that stays in lock step with that 2000s vibe. It's the layering that the 1st 2 songs didn't have, but once it settles in, you hear what you have heard fromt he 1st 2 tracks. This one also has a great chorus. This music-wise is a little dirtier than the production-laden efforts before it, and that's why I think I like it. There is an imperfection here that makes it unique and one of my favorites on this effort.
4. WHAT'S MY LINE AGAIN? - This might be the only skip for me here. I am just not a fan of the Dave Matthews-like strumming here. Ironically, it has some of the band's best lyrical content, and Eamon really shines on this track. It's just not my thing, is all. I felt like, throughout this song, I was waiting for that swooning yodel-like tone that always seems to blister my ears, which thankfully never came.
6. 75$72 - Christian brings us in, followed by a cool riff. The thing about this song is its powerful message that is accompanied by one of Eamon's best performances here. To be clear, I don't think he has a bad one in these 6 songs, so I hope that says a lot. This just seems to be where Dogpark feels more comfortable being in, this riffing, blistering cadence that naturally and organically drifts into a sharp chorus. For those who follow this blog know that I love it when the music stops abruptly, but the vocal carries over, and this one does that in the chorus here, to cool effect. This is a powerful way to end a great listening experience.
I'll be honest, I loved all the little experiments here, whether that was with genre, or mid-tempo changes, or even harmony shifts. However, what I think resonates with me stronger is the fact that there is a bravado to Dogpark where they feel like this experimenting isn't soul searching or trying to be different for different's sake. They lean into their 2000s feel like it was Y2K all over again and again and again. Dogpark has a really good security blanket of knowing who they are and how to get there, even if the tone shifts or the melody drifts out there. It makes this effort that much stronger. One that garners a few more playlist spots filled for me as well.
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