Dr. Dog We All Belong

Composer: Dr. Dog.
Dr. Dog: Tables, Thanks, Taxi, Text, Triumph (unknown instrument).
Personnel: Trials, Today, Truck (unknown instrument).
Additional personnel: Carlos Santiago (violin); Dan Scofield (alto saxophone); John Pettit (trumpet); Brendan Cooney (trombone); Mel Leaman (background vocals).
Fans, fear not. While Philly's impeccable traditionalists, Dr. Dog, embraced a 24-track reel-to-reel for WE ALL BELONG--eschewing the 8-track on which they recorded their previous records--the gear upgrade does not change the band's ol' warm analog sound one iota. The songs on WE ALL BELONG do feel more fleshed out, though, than on the lo-fi classic EASY BEAT, with more established Zombies-esque harmonies, more Beatly piano turnarounds, and more hooks a la Badfinger and Todd Rundgren.
While trad revisionism is nothing new in indie rock, Dr. Dog's so-real-it-could-be-a-reissue approach very much is. But WE ALL BELONG does not simply rehash the past. The quintet's effortless talent, melodic chops, ego-free creative chemistry, and obvious passion for the rock canon make songs like "The Girl," "My Old Ways," and "Alaska" sound like a revival, not a reference.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Rap