Album Review: Dodos - No Color (2011)

8.0 out of 10

Pounding drums, strummy acoustic guitars, and catchy melodies seem to best describe The Dodos latest effort No Color, due out next week on Frenchkiss Records. While I don't claim to be a Dodos expert, it is easy to see the band's progression on their fourth studio effort. And their latest release tends to break new ground for the group--showcasing more up-tempo songs, with more melody, and better instrumentation.

The album begins with "Black Night," a song that embodies many of the main themes of the record. The percussion enters the mix about half-way through the song and continues through the entire album. The song peaks with the "You had it all..." refrain, which I can't seem to get out of my head and ends with a fantastic outro that first introduces the listener to the main strength of the album--the interplay between the electric and acoustic guitars and the driving percussion .

"Black Night" is clearly a personal favorite--and is better IMHO than the single, "Going Under." That's not to say that "Going Under" is necessarily bad, quite the opposite. "Going Under" is a good example of the album building from one song to the next. The subdued acoustic fingerpicking gives way to an all-out rocking chorus, displaying the band's songwriting prowess (they probably could have been mainstream at one point in music's history).

Other highlights from the album include: "Good," which first shows the noise rock influence on the album; "Sleep," which combines the pounding drums with fitting string instrumentation; "Companions," which is simply beautiful and melodic; and the closer, "Don't Stop." Neko Case also makes an appearance adding background vocals to "Don't Try to Hide It" among others.

My only criticism of the album is that it is not very diverse. Many of the songs sound very similar and tend be somewhat forgettable. However, if you like the Dodos you will, most likely, love this album. I would consider it one of their best efforts--(perhaps) second only to 2008's Visiter. The Dodos are a band sticking to their strengths, and who can fault them for that?