It’s quite difficult to compare Dog Is Dead to any other band. Their sound falls somewhere in the space between pop and indie, but on a scale that hasn’t really been seen before, with the best parts of both genres injected in. Guitar led tracks are brought alive with epic drops and choruses that you can’t help but sing along to thanks to lead singer Robert Milton’s distinctive warbles. If The Strokes, Coldplay and One Direction wrote a song together, I’d imagine it would sound something like this. All Our Favourite Stories isn’t all new material, but what else can you expect from a band who have been gearing up to releasing an album for the last 5 years? It includes 5 of the band’s 6 singles, and 5 lesser-known tracks which show a different, darker side to the Nottingham 5-piece.
It’s mind-blowing how huge every track on this album sounds. Not a single song would sound out of place in any arena or stadium across the planet. ‘Glockenspiel Song’ is the perfect feel-good song, opening to a rousing saxophone, before a liberating middle eight where a mass of people chant “We are a mess, we are failures, and we love it!”. Dog Is Dead’s ability to create impeccably polished melodies is also demonstrated on other valiant tracks like the anthemic ‘Two Devils’ and ‘Do The Right Thing’. ‘Teenage Daughter’ is an album highlight, building from a minimalist introduction to a full blown masterpiece as the chorus comes crashing in with a crescendo of percussion and guitars.
In contrast to these feel-good songs is album opener, ‘Get Low’. Experimental instrumentation includes sections of psychedelically sad, distorted guitars and staccato bass riffs, but this comes second to Milton opening up, stating honestly, “I’ve got misery on my mind”. It’s an emotional track but clearly fits in with the theme of the album, which is growing up. Dog Is Dead are just young guys singing about their life experiences, whether these be good or bad, with ‘Any Movement’ being a perfect example; a melancholy tail of the breakdown of a relationship which is the understated highlight of the record. All Our Favourite Stories gives off an air of teenage innocence which certainly makes for a charming listen. An exceptionally massive sounding debut.
8/10
