There’s too much alt-folk out there, so those artists making it have to do something more to be something more. Singer/songwriters with an acoustic guitar & a broken heart are a dime a dozen these days. There are almost as many two-person guitar-and-drums duos out there, which is why it’s all the more surprising that Meric Long & Logan Foeber, The Dodos, manage to be something worth paying attention. On their much anticipated Time To Die, the pair strip away some of the extras that made the previous Visiter too confusing, and stick to their alt-folk married to pressing drum rhythm, which is more than enough to make them stand out.
Previous Dodos work had tended a bit more towards the psych end of the spectrum, perhaps reflecting their San Fran roots, but Time To Die is a lot more back to basics – however, The Dodos have their own idea of ‘basics’. Foeber’s drums are not only given a far more prominent place than you usually find with alt-folk, but his interesting rhythms make Long’s harmonies feel more original and unique. Tracks like opener “Small Deaths”, or “Fables” and “This Is a Business” match the two sides nicely and comfortably, though sometimes one or the other lacks, like not quite enough Long on “Longform”, or not quite enough Foeber to “Troll Nacht”.
While not as varied as Visiter, The Dodos do find time on Time to bring a higher, more atmospheric piece in the twinkling “The Strums”, not to mention go more psych in the backbeat, but poppier in the front, on “Two Medicines”. Yet by the time the titular track closes out the record, it’s the band’s interesting approach that takes center stage, and makes sure The Dodos won’t go extinct.
MP3 Stream: “Fables”
