The Dodos – Carrier
Polyvinyl Records
★★★★ (out of 5 stars)
Dodos fans probably need to admit they just won’t get the same rowdy, claustrophobic outbursts they once got back on Beware of the Maniacs or Visiter. Maybe that’s just something we need to finally deal with. But if there’s one thing Carrier should teach us, it’s that mellowing out and maturing isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This album may not have the same rock-&-roll-meets-indie-folk combustion that the duo – Meric Long and Logan Kroeber – once had, but it comes with a heavy heart and a soul that can’t be denied. Gone are the acoustic poundings, minimalistic bursting drums and Long’s yowls and howls; in are electric guitars, traditional rock sensibility and a conservative vocal performance fit for a group that recently lost a friend and fellow musician. Inspired by the passing of former Dodos contributor Christopher Reimer, Carrier is both heart-wrenching and precise. The Dodos have managed to draw further within, fixing all the kinks their wildness previously wrought.
