Origin: San Francisco, California
The Dodos, made up of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, are now on their fourth outing with No Color. By this point in time, we've come to embrace their wonderful late 2000's folk-rock escapades on albums Beware of the Maniacs and Visiter, and then we've also tried to understand the back-step switch to a new producer and the implementation of vibraphonist Keaton Snyder to the mix on a vibrant but forced Time to Die. In any event, support for The Dodos is always attainable, and that support is very much at the heart of No Color.
What might have felt forced and restrained is mostly absent here, as bass drums prominently kick off "Black Night." It's within those few seconds that we can already tell this is a return to basics for the band, continuing slyly into the album's shiner, "Going Under." Pervasive drumming and excellent guitar instrumentals bring us closer to the foreground as well as to Meric's vocals, who sings some of The Dodos strongest lyrics yet. Songs "When Will You Go" and "Companions" offer similar vibes, displaying a natural progression of working guitars along with some fine lyrical content.
Songs like "Sleep" and "Don't Try To Hide It" do have dandy instrumentals, and they feature singer-songwriter Neko Case of The New Pornographers, but it's difficult to tell whether her contributions really have any effect other than to help harmonize. Snyder is also apparently on half of this album, including the song "Hunting Season," but his vibraphone contributions are much more muted and less prominent in exchange for the duo's own work. All of this guest work is fine, but it begs the question of why they have to appear in the first place. It's worth noting that it may take a few listens before any real melodies sink in.
No Color is not entirely memorable, but it provides an outline for listeners as to what we can love and expect from this band. It's a fresh start of sorts that conquers the ground between the relaxed freedom of Visiter and the fixated boundaries that labeled Time to Die, so it's definitely a step in the right direction. My own support for The Dodos is still optimistic, now that I believe we have something to linger with.
3.5/5
The Dodos - "Going Under"
The Dodos - "When Will You Go"
No Color is out now on Frenchkiss Records.
-DJ
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