Labels: Specialist Subject
Review by: MH
Doe’s debut album has been a long time coming. So has this review probably as it’s been out for a bit now. A quick glance through their other reviews on this website might suggest we like this band a fair bit and this new record is every bit as good as their previous releases – perhaps a little tighter but still with the venom and energy that I’ve always associated with them. Nicola’s vocals are as powerful as ever and matched perfectly with Jake’s vocals on drums. There’s not a moment wasted here as this is a tight set of songs right from the get-go with the confident swagger of “No. 1”. From hereonin, there is heft, melody and hooks galore. “Sincere” and “Last Ditch” are huge and as catchy as you like. Every now and then I’m reminded of early Speedy Ortiz in the crunch of the guitars and the sharpness and wit in the lyrics particularly on the likes of “Monopoly”. It’s not a record that runs out of steam either. Towards the end, “Corin” is a 3-minute burst of fire and energy and rivals the punk energy of Doe’s early days and songs like “Nowhere Girl”. Nicola really lets rip on the vocals in the second half of this song before the crunch of closing track “Got Something To Tell You” makes for a thunderous end to the record.