The Dodos, new to TracksandGigs until this weekend, are a three piece from San Francisco led by singer/guitarist Meric Long and drummer/percussionist Logan Kroeber. 'Visiter' is their new album and is one of the most exciting things I have heard all year.
Their sound is minimalist, predominantly acoustic strumming and innovative percussion, bringing to mind The White Stripes and at times Arcade Fire. Long's voice though is warm and engaging, somewhere between Sufjan Stevens and Stuart Murdoch. The first four or five songs on the album are short and exciting, blending into each other, the highlight being 'Fools' which sounds like Sigur Ros and will surely be used to soundtrack some BBC advert or other before the year is out.
Longer piece 'Joe's Waltz' is the only slight mis-step before the albums gets into a groove again with Jens Lekman-esque ballads 'Winter' and 'Park Song' and the brilliant sing-along 'It's That Time Again', which will have you headbanging along with the drums!
I have compared the Dodos' sound to a lot of other artists, but this is because the sound of the record is familiar and timeless. The ballads are really lovely and will appeal to anyone who enjoyed Sufjan Stevens' 'Illionois' LP and there are also some really superb percussion effects. Ultimately, this is a fresh and engaging record that you will simply enjoy listening to. Highly recommended.
9.0
'Visiter' is out now on Wichita. The Dodos are currently touring UK/Europe.
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