CD Review: Dr. Dog

We All Belong

By Alicia Nierenstein | anierenstein@flagler.edu

If you’re a fan of psychedelic 60s music, then you will surely find a place on your iPod for Dr. Dog’s latest album, We All Belong, which was released this year. Every track on this album is similar to those of both The Beach Boys and The Beatles. Harmonizing, background clanging and mellow voices make this CD great for relaxing in your room or taking a walk through town.

All together there are 11 songs with eye-grabbing titles, such as “Alaska,” Worst Trip,” “Die Die Die” and “The Way the Lazy Do.” The first track, “Old News,” is a smooth song with the ability to make you learn the words and sing them to yourself even when you’re not listening to the CD.

“My Old Ways,” which starts off with a beautiful, upbeat piano intro and quickly progresses into a tune about a man who does not want to regress back to the way he used to be. He is “always waiting for the rain to stop, and praying for the other shoe to drop,” and those lyrics alone make you want to listen all the way until the end.

The next track, “Alaska,” sounds like a song that someone might sing during karaoke hour in a bar, with its simple beat and dismal lyrics. But for some reason, I found myself singing it soon after I had listened to it.

“Worst Trip” is an upbeat song, which is ironic because its message is so discouraging. It seems to be all about growing up, entering the real world and having to take care of yourself. It’s a very scary subject, but a very good song.

“Die Die Die” is pretty self-explanatory. Apparently the song was written for someone who made the singer’s life miserable, causing him to put together lyrics like, “I don’t want to die in your arms, I just want to die.” Even though it lacks an uplifting beat, it’s still a good song.

The last song, “We All Belong,” is a sweet melody, which evokes a feeling of unity in the listener. Although 11 tracks do not make for a very lengthy album, the content and quality of each song makes up for that. I highly recommend Dr. Dog to even those who are not familiar with the sounds of the 60s.