An album release from DOGDAD comes through with a lush and vivacious late '90s and early 2000s underground alternative rock soundscape that feels awesome to listen to especially if you grew up in the time. Because you really get that little sense of nostalgia hinting left and right throughout the record.
This was beautifully done and built with heart behind it because these songs come through with a lot of character and feel honest like these come from situations that actually happened to the songwriter, so it makes things very authentic.
The Swan Dive Pity Party album goes through a number of different rock subgenres if you would, but it all has this particular energy that just makes things feel alive and breathing and alongside that you get some inventive and creative guitar work which just adds to that electric energy that the whole record boasts.
This is such an awesome mix of garage, indie rock, alternative rock, pop rock, and so much more with different tonalities throughout the record too, for example, That bass tone sometimes but other times it's not.
I really enjoy how the record sort of evolves and there's a lot about it that almost feels like the songs interconnect with each other story-wise because it gives you the sense that this is a concept album of sorts which it just may be.
It would make total sense if it was but even if I'm wrong this is the kind of record that although certain tracks stick out to me as singles, you want to listen to this as a whole from beginning to end.
You even get elements of hardcore and heavier undertones throughout the record too when songs give that angrier attitude because that gets given not only in the vocals but in the guitar work in the drumming as well.
Things come through faster and fiercer.
There's definitely some fire behind this record and that's again, what really lets you feel like it comes from a place of realness and that these songs are honest because there is that emotional drive that comes in and out a lot in the record.
I was surprised at some of the guitar work on this because it's not straightforward, not cookie cutter, even the tones change and aren't just one standard sound.
Some of the stuff even sounds like it was recorded live on the floor and then dubbed in afterward because that energy is just so intense that it feels like players are feeding off of each other while they're doing their thing.
This is created by a person or people who have a real love for their craft, and I don't just mean guitar playing or singing, I mean songwriting. Weaving songs together with a passion behind them and something about this tells me that the sweet spot is in the moments of recording for this artist or this band.
I also really love the dynamic balance when you listen to this record because the vocals this level of intensity that followed the music or vice versa if you will.
Either way, you look at it, it's just this one unit that lets the songs become like I said, sort of alive and that's what gets you wrapped up in them a lot of the time.
Songs like this have character and persona and that's what you get attached to.
It's not always just about the music. Sometimes it's also about the message or that character that thrives throughout the music itself.
This was an absolutely killer record I'm going to give it a 9 out of 10 without question.
Check this out when you can, you won't regret it.