Dr. Dog is probably one of the most likable bands out there. They wear their influences on their sleeve, but are too damn good in their own right for it to be an easy case for dismissal. Though they embrace folksy, laid-back harmonies, this doesn’t seem to affect their live persona; a concert-connoisseur friend of mine saw the group play in Philly a while back and said it was one of the most energetic acts he’d ever seen.
“Lonesome” is the newest single from their upcoming LP, Be the Void, which is set to be released at the beginning of February. “Oh, what does it take to be lonesome?” Vocalist Toby Leaman wines, in tandem with the tune’s infectious slide-guitar hook. And though the fun, bluesy chorus does tend to repeat itself quite a bit, that’s not really a bad thing. While it’s hardly a throwaway track, it sounds like the band is just having fun.
Over the course of their last two records in particular, Dr. Dog has moved away from their lo-fi, humble beginnings – the songs have sounded a bit more polished and harmonic, which suited the progression of the material itself. But “Lonesome” reminds me of their earlier material – even the band members have previously claimed that the new LP is a return to when they were “fearless weirdoes,” and if this latest track is any indication, they’ve successfully reconnected with their roots.
