Fat Dog - "WOOF." (2024)

 

Fat Dog were first brought to my attention last summer when they were added to the lineup of a festival I was attending and featured on Fantano's weekly singles roundup within the same week. I decided to check out those singles, was thoroughly impressed and made a mental note to try and catch their set. The two songs they had released thus far were this insane collision of dance punk, traditional gypsy folk music and EBM with absolutely ridiculous, absurdist lyrics about having a fever dream where the protagonist becomes the king of slugs and the like. While I really liked what I heard, what truly cemented Fat Dog in my mind was catching their set and witnessing the raw, unrestrained energy that these songs have live.

The aforementioned King of the Slugs is this 7 minute surrealist journey into the mind of someone who is really loosing the plot. The thumping two step bass cranks up the tension during the opening verses which is all released in a manic chorus where vocalist Joe Love yells at the top of his voice "I'm the king of the slugs, bitch!" This the proceeds into a slow and drawn out instrumental section that slowly morphs into a bouncy polka bridge that builds and builds until the song just smacks you with one of the hardest breakdowns I have heard in years. Wither, similarly, hits you in the face with an incessant two step groove that never lets up as Love caterwauls "You better wither baby, before you die" over and over. Other album highlights include the other two singles, All the Same and Running. All the Same has a super heavy, almost dubstep-y groove and Running being one of the most intense moments on the record. Love play's the character of an exposed cult leader running away from those trying to seek justice. Flurries of stabbing synths compliment Love's increasingly deranged vocals. I managed to see the band a few weeks ago and Running closed out the set, and felt like the climax to the whole show.

While the highlights are frankly brilliant, WOOF. as a whole is quite a short album, and the over the top, tongue-in-cheek nihilism doesn't translate as well to some of the more restrained cuts on the record. Clowns and I am the King feel more like in jokes that aren't actually that clever compared to the sheer ridiculousness of the singles. That, combined with the fact that the first and last tracks function more as just intro and outro tracks for the album rather than fully fledged songs, leaves the record feeling rather lacking in substance when it comes to the lyrics and themes. But then again, its quite obvious that the point of the album is just to be a vehicle to perform these songs live, so I can hardly critique it too much for not having much to dig into on re-listen. 

The best bits of WOOF. are some of the most exciting music I heard in all of 2024, however as a whole album it feels a little underdeveloped and scant on deeper ideas. It is also short enough that it really doesn't outstay its welcome either. And as a live band, Fat Dog are absolutely brilliant and I would recommend anyone who likes a moshy gig to go see them.

Top Tracks: Wither, King of the Slugs, All the Same, Running

7/10

Charli XCX - "BRAT" (2024)

As promised, here's what I think of BRAT. Like many others, my experience of Charli XCX was mostly her smash hits of the early to mid 2010s - the likes of I Love It, Boom Clap and her feature on Iggy Azalea's Fancy. However by the time of 2016's Vroom Vroom EP, Charli started shifting into the emerging genres of hyperpop and bubblegum bass, a much more subversive and less commercial sound. Coincidentally the EPs title track is probably the last time I remember a Charli XCX song having a significant pop-culture presence. Pretty much everything Charli put out following this creative shift has gained huge amounts of critical acclaim, but never really captured the pop-culture attention that some of those early songs did. It's a sentiment I can certainly understand, as while I would occasionally hear some of the newer singles on the radio (and enjoyed them well enough), I never felt compelled to check out the records despite them consistently making year end lists.

What was different about BRAT (bar the effective marketing with the lime green aesthetic and 'x is brat' memes), is that the singles did compel me to check out the full thing. They weren't just somewhat edgy pop songs, they had depth and heart that fitted into a wider narrative that's presented on the album. Charli is being open and vulnerable on these songs and I think that is what has connected with me and many others. BRAT at its core is a record about the transitional period of your mid to late 20s, where you can feel yourself growing and maturing, but still not ready to let go of the adventures and chaos of youth. In Charli's case, it is framed around her competing desires to be a part of the hedonistic party scene that she grew up a part of (and has made a big part of her stage persona) and a longing to have an identity (and legacy) beyond that.

The album opens with 360, which almost serves as pres music for a big night out. Lyrics centre around looking in the mirror and hyping yourself up. The repeated synth riff of the song also becomes a bit of a motif that reoccurs later on in the record. This leads into Club classics, which is a straight up club banger. The booming bass and skittering synth lines, alongside Charli's lyrics about wanting to party with her friends to the 'club classics' make it a perfect party tune. Sympathy is a knife is the first time the record really delves into something deeper. The song is not so subtly about Charli's relationship with Taylor Swift and how their interactions have made Charli feel. But it isn't really a diss track, as Charli is more reflective on how her own insecurities are shaping her perception of Taylor, and how it's more coming from her as opposed to Taylor slighting her in some way. The song has a soaring hook (one of the catchiest on the record) searing synths and a skittering drum beat, creating a very high stakes tension to the song that really pays of. Its definitely one of my favourites of the record.

I might say something stupid slows it down and brings some quite raw and intimate lyrics where Charli is vulnerable about her insecurities regarding her level of fame and how she feels "one foot in a normal life", not quite belonging in the celebrity world but also at a level of fame where she doesn't feel like she belongs in a normal life either. Midpoint Everything is romantic hits similar vibes, as Charli repetitively lists off mundane, day to day items and experiences and romanticises them against a very rigid drum beat and contrasting cinematic strings. Talk talk and Von dutch sit in between these tow tracks and bring back the feel good party vibes. Talk talk is a sensual piece of synth pop, and Von dutch goes hard with it's throbbing base and whining synth lines. The lyrics centre around tearing down someone who is obsessively jealous of Charli. It has a huge It Girl, 'no fucks given' vibe to it.

The back half of the record is not quite as strong in my opinion, but has some real highlights on it. Rewind recycles and permutates the 360 motif, and while I get what it's trying to achieve by using the same musical ideas to emphasise it's themes of wanting to go back to the start, reminiscing on the past and trying to undo your imperfections, I don't find this version of the 360 beat nearly as engaging. From a lyrical front, So I is a beautiful ballad dedicated to the late hyperpop pioneer and Charli's friend, SOPHIE. It is heart wrenchingly vulnerable and touching. But on a musical front the song is by far the safest on the record, and feels rather plain compared to the rest of what's on offer. B2b is an atmospheric club track with minimal lyrics, but I can say it's something I'm excited to get to when listening through the album.

However the best parts of the second half are so good! Starting with Girl, so confusing. Much like Sympathy is a knife, the track deep dives into Charli's relationship with another pop star, this time being Lorde. However, the angle here is much more about Charli trying to reach out to Lorde and be open about a perceived miss-match and misunderstandings between the two because she really respects her and wants their relationship to grow. (As a result Lorde featured on the even better remix where she is equally candid and vulnerable). Apple has grown on me massively since first listen, as it's a very catchy synth pop jam with a great analogy about generational trauma being an apple rotten right to the core. Mean girls acts a sort of last hurrah for the party girl vibes from earlier on in the record as Charli describes the party girl / It Girl archetype with such allure against a throbbing house beat and skittering jazzy keyboards.

The record closes with the duo of I think about it all the time and 365. I think about it all the time strips the song back to basically just a drum beat and a few low key synths as Charli discusses meeting up with her friends who just had a baby and how that has caused her to reflect on whether she wants a child, her own biological clock and the career sacrifices she might have to make if she chooses to start a family. 365 brings everything full circle and remixes the 360 beat with a fresh set of lyrics primarily focused around drug usage. While I get what what Charli has done placing it as the closer to the record, essentially saying that while she's having these desires to move away from the party scene, she's still not ready to leave it behind quite yet; it does kind of lessen the impact of the arc of the record, especially I think about it all the time.

BRAT has the majority of the best pop songs I've heard this year on it and all wrapped up in an incredibly tight and thematically complete record. There are a couple of moments where I thought it could've been a little more daring but every song on here is at the very least really good and well worth your time. I would also recommend checking out the remix album as well, as much like the Lorde remix of Girl, so confusing, the tracks are more than just remixes - they are further extensions and reinterpretations of the themes of the original tracks.

Top Tracks: 360, Club classics, Sympathy is a knife, I might say something stupid, Talk talk, Von dutch, Everything is romantic, Girl, so confusing, Apple, Mean girls, I think about it all the time, 365

8/10

Primal Scream - "Screamadelica" (1991)

 

It's time for another record from my 100 albums bucket list poster, being Primal Scream's Screamadelica. This is the group's third record, and the one which broke them into the mainstream, incorporating house and other forms of dance music into the band's more traditional indie rock and neo-psychedelic approach. The record spawned the massive singles Movin' on Up, Come Together and Loaded that are absolutely everywhere; and are the tracks from the record that I was already familiar with going in. The album, quite uniquely, was written as more traditional rock songs and then reassembled into these sprawling dance tracks by producers Andrew Weatherall and Hugo Nicolson (plus a few guests). This approach gives the album a certain loose and organic feel to it, with the more natural instrumentation and samples giving a lot of texture as opposed to the more robotic and rhythmic nature of nature of late 80s and early 90s house.

The loose party atmosphere is evident from the opening jangles and Rolling Stones-esque, gospel inspired piano chords and choral backing vocals of Movin' on Up. The track layers up into this euphoric and anthemic climax that acts as an invitation into the album, with the promise that its gonna be a good time. The vibe is instantly switched up into the neo-psych meets dub meets acid house banger that is Slip Inside this House. Originially a 60s psych rock song by the 13th floor elevators, its not as high energy as Movin' on Up but more hypnotic and spacy. Don't Fight It, Feel It is more indebted to house with it's four to the floor beat, powerful soul vocals and percussive piano hits; however this also slips through multiple sections that become increasingly enchanting as they layer up. It remains interesting and super groovy for its entire 7 minute run.

At this point in the record, the band decide it's time for the first downtempo comedown to allow us to catch our breath with Higher Than the Sun. This track actually has two versions on the record, with this first one produced by ambient house innovators, The Orb. This version is much shorter than the second one, produced by Weatherall, but I think I like it more. It's dark and spacy, with these trip-hop style breakbeats and weird ambient noises. Inner Flight builds on this, turning the dark ambience of Higher Than the Sun into a more melodic and uplifting interlude. There's no vocals on the track and it sort of functions as a reset from the first leg of the record before the twin centrepieces of the record, Come Together and Loaded, barrage in with the most anthemic and feel-good party anthems the album provides.

And barrage in they truly do. Come Together opens with a building synth line and a sample of a speech by Jesse Jackson (a US political activist) where he narrates the unifying and collective experience music provides to society. The drums slowly creep in, then does the piano notes, then the wobbly psyched out synths. It builds and builds for 5 minutes, before the hook of the song rears its head and all of the tension is released. It's such a patient and well constructed dance track that keeps interest for its 10 minute runtime without throwing the kitchen sink in. Loaded goes even harder, with its iconic "We want to be free to do what we want to do, and we want to get loaded" sample and the bombastic "I've gone all delusional" hook that just pumps you up so hard against the dramatic horn sections and the return of the bluesy, gospel outro style of Movin' On Up. This time it goes even more massive and anthemic though. It really is one of those songs that turns everything up to 11 and somehow it not only works but blows your head off as well.

The back end of the record functions as a comedown from the unbelievable high of Loaded, with the acoustic ballad of Damaged; the aptly titled I'm Comin' Down; the second version of Higher Than the Sun; and the closer Shine Like Stars. Damaged and I'm Comin' Down feature far more traditional instrumentation and strip down the neo-psychedelic elements which grounds the album in the real world for a little while, and Damaged is actually a really good bluesy ballad, even if it's a stark left turn from the rest of the album so far. I'm Comin' Down makes more use of additional instrumentation and effects, but is even more melodically simple and low key. It almost feels a little too slow at points, although the track does pick up towards the end with a cool wonky sax solo. Higher Than the Sun (A Dub Symphony in Two Parts) is slower and spacier than its earlier counterpart, with a lot of reverb on everything. The breakbeats are more smothered on this versions, and it features a central break which then builds into a bassier second half. This version certainly has more elements to it than the Orb version, but it doesn't really come together into anything particularly satisfying. This leads into the closing track, Shine Like Stars, which is probably the most forgettable song on the record. It features Bobby Gillespie wistfully singing over a simple beat and psychedelic effects and really doesn't go anywhere to be honest.

It's a shame Screamademica ends on its weakest couple of tracks because the first 3/4 of it bangs so hard. It's a really great dance record that incorporates so many styles and moods that it doesn't get repetitive or tiresome. It's iconic for a reason and great record for summer. I keep coming back to it and Loaded might be the best track to start a dance party playlist with.

Top Tracks: Movin' On Up, Slip Inside this House, Don't Fight It, Feel It, Higher Than the Sun, Come Together, Loaded, Damaged

8/10