Track 2- Troll Nacht

Artist: The Dodos

Album: Time To Die

Genre: Indie Rock/Folk


      The Dodos are a fabulous example of two people with seemingly incongruous styles coming together to form an end product that is greater than either of its individual parts. The Dodos is composed of two men- drummer and progressive metal inspired Logan Kroeber and instrumentalist Meric Long. Combined, their sound became something really unique.

       It should come as no surprise that the Dodos sound something like Dax Riggs solo work, but with more musical complexity. It occupies a grey space between simple singer songwriter with an acoustic guitar folk and the smooth yet busy sound of This Town Needs Guns or a similar "math rock" group, especially on Visiter, No Color, and Individ. On their other albums, Time to Die and Carrier, the tracks take on a fuller feel, with Long recording additional instrumentation along with the original duo of his guitar and singing, and Kroeber's drumming. Even still, the additions to the mix never overburden the original sound, or work to push it in a more folktronica sort of direction. 

       This particular blend of style and substance makes for an amazingly relaxing listening experience. While excellent, sometimes bands like Tuung, This Town Needs Guns, or other artists from those genres can prove busy or distracting when you try to engage with them as background listening. The Dodos avoid this while still having enough of a technical edge and style that they keep you engaged on some level without just fading into the background entirely. Long's vocals, and lyrics, can slip through the cracks quite often, but that's not a tremendous problem, especially as when you do take the time to listen to them, there is some substance there. Only some, mind you. Most of the Dodo's tracks aren't that deep, and some stray into the realm of 'surreal symbolism or just word association?' Still, the lyrics are obviously not meant to be the main focus of the music, and what that focus is is quite good. 

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