It doesn’t seem five minutes since this San Francisan band released their debut long player, ‘Beware Of The Maniacs’ back in 2006, but since then, the key members of Meric Long (vocals/guitar) and Logan Kroeber (drums) have been enduringly prolific, this already being their sixth full length album.
Fans will be aware that Christopher Reimer, formerly of Women and a touring member of The Dodos, died in his sleep in 2012, and the hurt and heartbreak of the tragedy was palpable in the band’s most recent release, 2013’s ‘Carrier‘, which was littered with references to their late guitarist friend. If that album was a tribute, the remaining members have continued to pay their respects, for ‘Individ‘, by contrast, feels like a vigil.
Right from the outset, ‘Precipitation‘ and then ‘The Tide’ set the tone – a fairly downtrodden – yet uptempo – melancholy that calls to mind French Kicks circa ‘The Trial Of The Century’, but with a far more complex rhythm section, as we’ve come to expect from the dynamic duo. The second half of the opener evolves into something more accessible for a wider audience, with an infectious refrain of “Let go of it, get out of here, get out of here, forget“, perhaps itself an internal plea from Long’s mind to clear his mind of lingering thoughts of Reimer and move on.
‘Bubble‘ is part ‘Baba O’Riley’ and part ‘Gimmie Shelter’ when it begins, but drifts lushly into a hypnotic, off kilter waltz that is far and away the most effective track here before the bouncy ‘Competition‘ breezes by, about as commercial as this band is ever likely to get.
It’s in the middle section where ‘Individ‘ falls down somewhat though. The woozy ‘Darkness‘ and equally laid back ‘Goodbyes And Endings’ simply aren’t strong enough to carry the weight of their intricate arrangements, though they’re pleasant enough and don’t detract from the overall quality of the album.
‘Retriever‘ is the best of the closing salvo, all twitchy electronica and arresting “Aah aah aah“s, and then the ‘Kashmir‘ like riff of ‘Pattern/Shadow’ closes proceedings with an ominous intensity that, while effective, just goes on that little bit too long.
All in all, it’s a solid addition to The Dodos’ impressive catalogue, but let’s just say, if you wanted to dance to it, you’d need to grow an extra leg.
[Rating:3]
The Dodos – Competition from morr music on Vimeo.
