 Flock
of Doug
"Wish I Were Here" CD
Überfishie
Records
Genres: rock, melodic rock
Mar 14 - 20 2005 |
The cleverly-named Wish I Were Here album is Flock of
Doug's first, and it offers a solid glimpse into the band's
melodic rock sound. These songs are filled with clever,
pop-culture-heavy lyrics and average hooks; it will take a few listens
for the melodies to addict you, though with patience you should be
able to appreciate the band's style. The most effective songs here (in terms of melody) are
"Brian's Other Song," "Osama Bin Enron," and
"Hymn 43." Each one has the capacity to stick in your
head, as all guitar-led pop songs are meant to do. Sometimes on
this record I get the feeling the choruses don't go as far as they
should, stopping short of being truly wonderful (on "Hymn
43" and "Boyfriend You're My American Flag Underwear,"
for example). However, Flock of Doug's penchant for
strong musical atmosphere is what keeps a listener going through the
less infectious tracks, and the clever lyrics provide another level of
entertainment. Still, duds like "The Ballad of El Vez"
and "Space Poodle 69" affect the record's flow, and will
likely result in the listener reaching for the skip button more than a
few times. Still, a nice surprise waits for listeners willing
to stay for the end; the band includes a version of ABBA's
"Dancing Queen," making for a funny finish to this record - though most of the song's appeal comes from its riotously
hilarious awkwardness.
This album isn't perfect, but it's a nice look at the Flock of
Doug sound. On future albums, these guys are going to have
to pare down some of their less melodic songs and refine their melodic
style, but their lyrics and occasionally excellent hooks prove they
have the chops to do something great. I'll be
watching.
76%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
10 tracks, distributed by CD
Baby, released 2004] |
