Dr. Dog - We All Belong

I first heard of Dr. Dog when they opened up for MMJ a few years back. I figured that if they were good enough for Jim James, they should be good enough for me. I picked up Dr. Dog’s 2005 release, Easy Beat, and kept wondering why everyone was busy making a fuss over The Redwalls. While The Redwalls dressed up like it was the 60’s and used fake British accents to try and sound like the Beatles, Dr. Dog was honing their style by incorporating elements of their influences into their own sound.

The Philadelphia five-piece outift follows up on Easy Beat with a tighter, better release in We All Belong. Many fans of the 2005 release, which was recorded on an 8-track, were worried that Dr. Dog would move to more conventional production techniques and bring in a serious producer. Thankfully, they just upgraded to a 24-track machine and that has had nothing but a positive affect on their music.

We All Belong continues to show Dr. Dog’s love for 60’s pop by incorporating Beatlesque 3-piece harmonies and guitar melodies. “My Old Ways,” “Worst Trip” and “Ain’t It Strange” are some of my favorite tracks on the disc. Overall, the album is enjoyed more as a whole than piecemeal. It has a great flow and they did a phenomenal job in picking the song order.

I’ve read some reviews that blow these guys some shit for reinventing the wheel and not trying anything creative. I call bullshit! I’m sure Dr. Dog grew up idolizing bands like the Beatles and The Beach Boys. I could think of plenty worse bands to influence your music. You can’t fault a band for channeling the love of their forefathers into an organic album that sustains a live feel throughout and minimizes the over-the-top production techniques that can sometimes ruin a band’s sound. Kudos I say.

Dr. Dog - My Old Ways

Dr. Dog - Ain’t it Strange

Dr. Dog - Worst Trip