Hello Reader,
Welcome back. I hope that you’re well.
Today we will delve into the band and then the album Dr. Dog. The Philadelphia-based indie band has been labeled as playing genres from rock to folk to baroque pop to psychedelic since its formation in 1999. The current lineup is made up of Toby Leaman (bass guitar), Scott McMicken (lead guitar), Frank McElroy (rhythm guitar), Zach Miller (keyboard), Eric Slick (drums), and Michael Libramento (percussion, lap steel, acoustic guitar, bass). Leaman and McMicken shared lead vocal duties with all band members contributing harmonies.
They’re a band I’ve seen several times after they caught my attention in the late 2000s and by the mid 2010s I had at least four of their albums within my vinyl collection. Their psychedelic pop sound with catchy melodies, vocals and hooks and energy made for some excellent shows, garnering thousands of fans along their tours. They definitely were and still are a band which you should see live, at least once in your life.
Dr. Dog’s has had an impressive discography. Their first studio album was Toothbrush (2002), followed by Easy Beat (2005), Takers and Leavers EP (2006), We All Belong (2007), Fate (2008) to close out the decade. Shame, Shame (2010), Be the Void (2012), Wild Race EP (2012), B-Room (2013), The Psychedelic Swamp (2016), Abandoned Mansion (2016), and Critical Equation (2018) compromised their 2010s releases. The band has also released two live albums.
Dr. Dog the band’s eleventh studio album came out Friday July 19th via the band’s label We Buy Gold Records for your listening pleasure. It’s an album that was borne out of a close-knit retreat to the Pennsylvania woods, the first time the band spent an extended period time together since they announced retiring from touring and making music in 2021. Scott McMicken said while reflecting about the process and intent, “The idea was, ‘Let’s be loose, let’s not overthink.’ The more you can let go of that fear of being imperfect, the more you open yourself up to deeper expression.” He then added, “I think what drives us to keep growing is the goal of creating those moments of soulfulness within a song, whether that song is deep or sad or goofy or whatever else it might be. This record was made of many choices, but they’re all rooted in the understanding that music is such a powerful tool for connection—both with your collaborators, and with all the people who exist on the other side of the speaker.”
Leaman added his own opinion, “We’ve never been the kind of band to say, ‘What’s the hot new sound? Let’s do that. It’s much more about exploring what excites us, and asking ourselves if what we’re creating makes us happy and makes us proud. As long as we’re staying relevant to ourselves, that’s really all that matters.” I find that to be sage wisdom and having listened to the band for a good number of hours, I agree that they do have their own distinctive, consistent sound.
Giving credit where it’s due. Dr. Dog album credits:
- Toby Leaman: vocals, bass guitar
- Scott McMicken: vocals, lead guitar, produced the album.
- Zach Miller: keys
- Frank McElroy: rhythm guitar, vocals
- Eric Slick: drums
- Evan Martin: percussion on all songs except “Talk is Cheap”
- Matthew E. White produced background vocals with choir direction from Joseph Clarke on “Talk is Cheap”
- Oona Grady: strings on “What a Night’ll Do”
- Connor Armbruster: strings on “What a Night’ll Do”
- Doug O’Donnell, vocals “What a Night’ll Do”
- Josh Elioseff, Harmonica on “What a Night’ll Do”
- Joey Rosin: woodwinds on “Still Can’t Believe”
- Jared Samual Elioseff: string arrangements on “What a Night’ll Do” and arrangements & ambient treatments on “Still Can’t Believe”
- Dough O’Donell: vocals on “White Dove”
- M. Ward: featured on “Love Struck”
- Krista Wroten: violin on “Love Struck”
- Matt Ross-Spang: mixed the album along with Dr. Dog at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN
- Kyle Pulley also engineered the album with additional engineering by Joe Reinhart
- Mastered by Christopher Colbert at National Freedom Studio in Cottage Grove, OR
- All songs written by Dr. Dog except “Lost Ones” by Toby Leaman / Scott McMicken / Zach Miller and “Tell Your Friends” by Eric Slick / Kyle Ryan.
And now some hype for your ears!
The album opener and a good sonic sampling of the band overall, within the song “Authority”:
(All credits and rights to Dr. Dog)
Follow the band on an adventure in the video for the song, “Talk is Cheap”:
(All credits and rights to Dr. Dog)
On your side, “Still Can’t Believe”:
(All credits and rights to Dr. Dog)
Overall, the album Dr. Dog delivers in that it gives their fans what they seek within an album by the band. There’s a lot of familiarity in terms of melody, vocal tone, and song construction that you’ve heard before and the band is known for. There’s comfort and appreciation to be found amongst reliability and consistency from artists. Yet, this album also showcases some new sounds, tweaks and songwriting that hasn’t been present in the past which I appreciate, and I know others will as well. The casual or jaded listener may not recognize and/or value the tweaks, these sometimes…slight variances but they are worth noting, in my opinion. If it’s your first Dr. Dog listening experience, explore more and compare to a previous set of songs or album. It makes me happy to know that they enjoyed being together, creating an album together and that process and then sharing it with fans while touring. The production and songwriting are showcased within each song, and there’s a lot of reflection and wisdom shared amongst the album’s lyrics with a heaping of love and admiration as well. In addition, the album flows well from song to song, and the sonic quality is top notch. Really good choices top down from the band in terms of bringing on talented personnel.
The first song “Authority” kick starts the album with some lively beats. It’s a propulsive melody anchored in pop. The horns add a little touch of something extra as does the drum beat. The vocals harkened me back to previous Dr. Dog songs, creating and perhaps triggering some 2010s memories. The lyrics themselves tell of reflecting on youthful experiences.
“Lost Ones” opens with some love piano notes. Then the pop rhythm allows the melody to pick up speed and stay there with some variance for lyrical emphasis and allowing the vocals to shine as well. The song features some sweet, shimmery vocal harmonies and lead vocals. All of which are well placed and executed. The result is a lovely, sound that the entire band gets in on perfectly. About halfway through the song, you’ll enjoy the guitar solo and guitar work in general from McElroy, Leaman, and McMicken. The lyrics are a reassuring message to another, about being there as a friend when needed.
The next song, “Fat Dog” is a beautiful blast from the past in terms of its sound. My brain thinks 70s melodies. The vibes are immaculate. It’s time for a dance party while listening to this one. The drum work again is tight, great rhythm from the band in general. The lyrics describe an adventure with some fondness.
“Talk is Cheap” starts with an excellent drumbeat from Slick. The main notes and playing style from the Miller’s keys remind the listener of past Dr. Dog songs they loved. Later on some synth sounding notes give the song a different feel. The addition of a non-band member chorus is a great addition as it adds so much depth and sound to the vocals, and contrasts succinctly with the harmonies of the band. The lyrics are about a husband and wife.
“What a Night’ll Do” showcases some fantastic sounding string arrangements at its start and the overall music vibe is grandiose in the best ways. With its sound, pacing and beautiful harmonized vocals, this song could be easily sung at a family gathering, while beverage over your choice in hand, whilst reminiscing over an open fire. It’s a nice departure from the “usual” sound of the band. And the harmonica adds a nice presence to the melody.
Wise advice seen through a lens with years of experience is the story shared in “Tell Your Friends,” and it is a short but lovely song. The message caught me upon the first message and resonated. The lyrics are so introspective and reflective in nature and conveyed well. That should be universal with all who listen. It’s lively and jaunts in melody and is bittersweet but positive.
The vocals carry the pace within “Still Can’t Believe” as the rhythm is one I can see swaying back and forth to at a live performance. I know I did so while listening to the audio at home. I enjoyed the concept and execution of the melody and vocals on this one. The lyrics display gratitude and love. There’s some great drum work and guitar work in this one. And some woodwind notes.
“Fine White Lies” opens with some fabulous vocals, harmonies and an blast from the past vibe in its melody. If you were at a party and the DJ played this and the third song, “Fat Dog” back-to-back, you’d never lose your groove. Unless you’re rhythmically challenged, but that’s your fault at that point, not the band’s. There’s a nice orchestration and ambience about this heavenly tune. The at times, biting lyrics tell of a complex woman.
The next song “White Dove” has flowing rhythm that transitions from pop to rock throughout the song as more instrumentation is added and chords alternate, creating a different mood. The band is skilled at that, having done so numerous times throughout the years. The lyrics again are reflective, lightly building at times upon the heavenly theme of the previous song.
“Handyman” is a thankful song, seemingly a homage to a specific woman in their life. The raucous melody is drum heavy, and it works, as it intertwines and balances with other instrumentation and vocals. There are some excellent guitar and drum solos in this song.
The closing song, “Love Struck (feat M. Ward)” also showcases Wroten on violin. The vocalization both in harmonies and in solo form, is a great pairing. It is pleasing to the ear. Like most Dr. Dog songs. Maybe a bit sweeter than some songs even on this album. The song lyrics are consistently grateful.
Dr. Dog gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. It’s an album that Dr. Dog diehards will enjoy yet it won’t blow the socks off of too many first-time listeners. For me, this album slides neatly in the middle of the bands’ discography, as they’ve released both better and worse albums. Relative to 2024 releases, the Dr. Dog album falls in the lower half of the 4 Scum Drop territory, currently ranking somewhere between the 72nd-77th percentile. There’s excellent songwriting, production and vocals consistently on this one. I liked the middle songs the most after a few listens. Yeah, add this album to your collection!
Dr. Dog Track listing [song length]
- Authority [3:30]
- Lost Ones [4:30]
- Fat Dog [4:30]
- Talk is Cheap [4:30]
- What a Night’ll Do [3:37]
- Tell Your Friends [2:34]
- Still Can’t Believe [3:23]
- Fine White Lies [3:56]
- White Dove [2:24]
- Handyman [3:41]
- Love Struck (feat M. Ward) [3:21]
Total runtime: 39:57
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The process with the Dr. Dog album from start to finish will take you 1 hour and 20 minutes if you listen back and forth twice. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on this album.
The bands website with their socials in the upper right-hand corner, and a store and more in the upper left-hand corner is linked right here!
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
