Dr. Dog
I have a friend who only listens to Philadelphia’s classic rock music station. She never tunes in to anything else. Whenever we are in the car together, I know exactly what I am going to get: the best radio rock songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. She likes the comfort this station provides her. She never hears anything new, but she always knows what to expect, always knows what’s coming and will always like the output.
I feel the same way about Dr. Dog. Whenever the group puts out a new record, I know what I’m in for: variations on their rock-revival act that blend their love of Beatles psychedelia and rock Americana. The band delivers more of the same on their eighth album, B-Room: an album that, despite its narrative, is nothing more than another batch of warmed-up tribute music that could come from anyone.
The story behind B-Room is that the band built their own studio from scratch and tracked all of the instruments and vocals live for this record. Such raw possibilities sound promising, as the band’s live performances have always elevated their output in a way their records can’t. Alas, the record is more of the same from the band. Flashes of the album hint at the live performances that could enliven what is pretty straightforward stuff, with tracks like “Phenomenon,” and “Too Weak to Ramble” humming with a kinetic spark that the rest of the album lacks. “Rock & Roll” will likely sound great played at a festival, divorced from this album.
Sadly, the experience of listening to B-Room is one of “why bother?” I don’t question Dr. Dog’s intentions or their talent: this is a talented group of musicians, to be sure. However, when so much of their output plays like lip service to their idols (Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and, yes, The Beatles, just to name some of the most obvious ones), what can one gain from this music that couldn’t be gained from the source material?
At their best, Dr. Dog sound like a band steeped in the past. On B-Room, they sound like a band consumed by it.
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