Matt On Dodger's New EP
For several years, Dodger have stayed poised as one of Orlando’s indie favorites and have showered us with their pop ballads and unapologetic political and social stance. They’ve graced Orlando with countless live shows and various demos so we could remain exposed to and continue to enjoy their infectious melodies and above the grain lyrics.
This past Thursday, however, stood not just as another show, but as the release of Dodger’s new EP. Put out by their label Post Records, this eponymous debut culls together six of Dodger’s best songs.
“Carbon Copper Mines and Wells, Inc.” and “Sequence of Events” open up the CD as songs any regular would know. Unfortunately, a regular has already been won over by the band, and the CD should serve as a device for newcomers. The problem here is that these two tracks have gone through a bit of a facelift. Upon listening, one is bombarded with instrument after instruments flowing in and out of the songs, actually diminishing their pop sensibility. Many of these instruments are additives found in this recording alone, leaving you with the feeling that the band just collected all the instruments that they and their friends owned and decided to put them on the record. Especially disappointing was “Sequence of Events” which, as most of the tracks do, has an awe-inspiring demo version already recorded. “Shiny Knobs,” a song noted for it’s Conrad-sung vocals and a keyboard dominated (in a good way) melody, follows with a less saturated opening, but soon falls victim to the same epidemic of over-instrumentation.
“We’re Doing Fine (Now Leave Us a Loan) opens the second half of the disc with an equal dose of catchy yet distinguished lyrics and melody. This offbeat love song (thematically, not rhythmically) is a perfect document of what the Dodger experience is. The album closes with “Lull and Bye” and “Find Another Way,” the former an instrumental somewhat less instrumentally drenched than its predecessors, and the latter a stirring political/social plea that highlights lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Matt Kamm’s unique gift with a pen (or pencil).
Buyers are treated with a more uniform representation of Dodger’s music as well as their usual quirky artwork on the back, front, and CD itself. You also get consistent production, though there are a few demos that match or even better the production quality of this cd. However, “Find Another Way” benefits from the production. Though not as good sonically as some of the demos, the vocals hold dominance over the music (unlike the demo version) so that Matt’s words can be heard as he sings:
let’s find another way
there’s gotta be another way we can live
my words are now a corporate crime
there’s freedom only in my mind
to be the things you want to be
in virtual reality
read between the lines
small print is a sign of our times
I just sigh for the times
this is a sigh for our times
The bottom line is this: Dodger are an incredibly gifted group of musicians, performers, and song writers and in its own right, this is certainly an enjoyable piece of media for any fan of indie, pop, or Rock ‘N’ Roll and music in general. Compared to the assorted varieties of ways you can hear them besides this CD, however, it falls slightly short. But here, just let drummer Miguel tell you why you should buy the CD:
“Why not, faggot. I’m gonna go pee.”
And away he scampered, leaving me with one of my most memorable Dodger shows to date (out of more than I can remember).
copy by Matt Harrison
For several years, Dodger have stayed poised as one of Orlando’s indie favorites and have showered us with their pop ballads and unapologetic political and social stance. They’ve graced Orlando with countless live shows and various demos so we could remain exposed to and continue to enjoy their infectious melodies and above the grain lyrics.
This past Thursday, however, stood not just as another show, but as the release of Dodger’s new EP. Put out by their label Post Records, this eponymous debut culls together six of Dodger’s best songs.
“Carbon Copper Mines and Wells, Inc.” and “Sequence of Events” open up the CD as songs any regular would know. Unfortunately, a regular has already been won over by the band, and the CD should serve as a device for newcomers. The problem here is that these two tracks have gone through a bit of a facelift. Upon listening, one is bombarded with instrument after instruments flowing in and out of the songs, actually diminishing their pop sensibility. Many of these instruments are additives found in this recording alone, leaving you with the feeling that the band just collected all the instruments that they and their friends owned and decided to put them on the record. Especially disappointing was “Sequence of Events” which, as most of the tracks do, has an awe-inspiring demo version already recorded. “Shiny Knobs,” a song noted for it’s Conrad-sung vocals and a keyboard dominated (in a good way) melody, follows with a less saturated opening, but soon falls victim to the same epidemic of over-instrumentation.
“We’re Doing Fine (Now Leave Us a Loan) opens the second half of the disc with an equal dose of catchy yet distinguished lyrics and melody. This offbeat love song (thematically, not rhythmically) is a perfect document of what the Dodger experience is. The album closes with “Lull and Bye” and “Find Another Way,” the former an instrumental somewhat less instrumentally drenched than its predecessors, and the latter a stirring political/social plea that highlights lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Matt Kamm’s unique gift with a pen (or pencil).
Buyers are treated with a more uniform representation of Dodger’s music as well as their usual quirky artwork on the back, front, and CD itself. You also get consistent production, though there are a few demos that match or even better the production quality of this cd. However, “Find Another Way” benefits from the production. Though not as good sonically as some of the demos, the vocals hold dominance over the music (unlike the demo version) so that Matt’s words can be heard as he sings:
let’s find another way
there’s gotta be another way we can live
my words are now a corporate crime
there’s freedom only in my mind
to be the things you want to be
in virtual reality
read between the lines
small print is a sign of our times
I just sigh for the times
this is a sigh for our times
The bottom line is this: Dodger are an incredibly gifted group of musicians, performers, and song writers and in its own right, this is certainly an enjoyable piece of media for any fan of indie, pop, or Rock ‘N’ Roll and music in general. Compared to the assorted varieties of ways you can hear them besides this CD, however, it falls slightly short. But here, just let drummer Miguel tell you why you should buy the CD:
“Why not, faggot. I’m gonna go pee.”
And away he scampered, leaving me with one of my most memorable Dodger shows to date (out of more than I can remember).
copy by Matt Harrison