Label: Domino Records
Released: 6th September 2024
Fat Dog aren’t a band likely to tread on eggshells. If they’ve got something to say, they’ll hit you in the face with it. It’s this total confidence that simmers and soars in debut album, ‘WOOF.’.
In their now-trademarked boisterous manner, Orwellian opening track ‘Vigilante’ starts with singer Joe Love shouting ‘It’s fucking Fat Dog baby!’, setting up an album that is upfront with its intentions. Fat Dog create a sardonic, doom-struck landscape by mixing high BPM electronica, N64-style retro synth beats, and sweeping orchestral breaks. It’s the apocalypse, so you might as well have some fun with it.
‘Closer to God’ continues the anxiety-inducing tempo before ‘Wither’ bleeds together almost ska-like rhythms with samples and tracks perfectly chosen to represent their desolate post-civilisation universe. Love’s vocal style, erratic and passionate, sends seven-minute epic ‘King of the Slugs’ into the stratosphere before bitter post-punk banger ‘All the Same’ fires you back down to Earth with a thud. The anthemic ‘Running’ mimics the activity after which it was named, building up into a sprint before breaking down to let you catch your breath before the final massive chorus.
Cinematic and superbly absurd, Fat Dog haven’t just given you a taste of what Doomsday will look like; they’ve got you actively looking forward to it. One of Britain’s brightest sparks is igniting whether you’re ready or not. Let the flames begin.
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