Dr. Dog – Toothbrush

admin on Dec 22nd 2005

I think I may have found my new favourite band. An “introduction” to Dr. Dog, “Toothbrush” was made over the course of three years of tape machine bedroom recordings. Despite being gathered from different times and places, “Toothbrush” is a lot more cohesive than one would think, and only underlines the exultant enthusiasm that the brilliant “Easybeat” album serves as a spring for.

Thematically speaking, “Toothbrush” is a lot bluesier but its reach spreads as far and wide as bluegrass and soul, as demonstrated on the locomotive momentum of “How Dare” and the wailing “Jealous Man.” Once more, it’s clear that what Dr. Dog do best are their curtains of harmonies, and from start to finish, it feels like you’re being carried gently through “Toothbrush” on the crest of one long, gorgeous group vocal. The influences of the Beach Boys and the Beatles are still ever-present, but if, like me, you’ve well and truly fallen for their whole sound, it has no bearing on the overall experience.

Recorded on fourth generation cassette tapes, the lo-fidelity element is in full effect here, but it couldn’t be any other way – Dr. Dog bypass the need for glossy production values, and by doing so, should unearth (or at least re-ignite) your passion for good music on the most fundamental of levels.