Shame, ShameDR. DOG

Shame, Shame

[Anti-]

Dr. Dog, to borrow a line from Brian Wilson, just wasn’t made for these times. The Philly quintet has always been nostalgic, taking its cues from the Beach Boys, Beatles and Band—and on its sixth album, the group once again bows to its heroes. That said, Shame, Shame is no psychedelic love-in. The songs are deceptively cheery, their ’60s touchstones stoking a buzz their lyrics seek to kill. On such songs as “Stranger” and “Where’d All the Time Go?” lead singers Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman wrestle with sorrow and regret, exploring various quarter-life crises through the music of their middle-aged parents. The approach works mostly because the instrumentation is inventive even at its most derivative, and the sad-sack lyrics are never too heavy to bear. Dr. Dog’s young songwriters channel their fears into music that, by virtue of skirting straight-up revivalism, seems to exist outside of time. – KP

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