Within the new pack of bands in the UK scene this year, Fat Dog leaves quite a distinct mark. ‘WOOF.’ brings together New Rave and EBM rave passages to the barking grooves that could’ve been trimmed down to let these songs break out of their cage with consistent intensity.
At this point, the gradual development in the modern UK rock scene has cemented how much certain sounds could go, leading to a point where certain genres such as Post-Punk have started to become more oversaturated, digging the monochromatic compositions and dour atmosphere to the ground without much unique flair to go alongside it besides the emotive lyrical attributes that have always carried the most weight. In the year 2024, there are a few acts that try to expand upon the guitar-based soundscapes, bringing its foundations to a different space that breathes more creative flair into the genre. Back in April, you have the expanded field of English Teacher’s debut album, and now this September, you have Fat Dog and their splashy brand of sonic tapestry with their debut album, ‘WOOF’.
Within the brief package that ‘WOOF.’ showcases, Fat Dog makes themselves stand out within the new wave of UK bands as they embrace the rumbling dance grooves that came from New Rave and EBM, amplifying the well-produced melodic edges and Joe Love’s vocal charges to pulsate and bark as the grooves develop further. Allowing most of the cuts to run amuck with a delighted tone in their melodies, such as the thick instrumental barrages coming from the horns, drums, and bass passages on ‘Closer to God’ that eventually picks up more bombast as the chorale section joins in the fray, the endlessly bouncy tune of ‘Wither’ from its filthy bass melody which transitions to the ornate string section and leading it all off with one last ballistic moshpit inducing energy, the 7-minute epic escapade of ‘King of the Slugs’ that takes its grand melodic swells to multiple cooldowns and crescendos - all of which pays off extremely well, and the joyously rabid melodic rundowns of ‘Running’ that recharges its adrenaline rush during its verses and releases it out when the chorus lines hit once again.
However, compare those songs with the slower passages of ‘I am the King’ and ‘Clowns’ that may carry momentous swells in their tunes, but it never really pays off in the end. Given how brief it is already, the project ends up deflating fast as the structure only stifles the momentum, to the point where it could’ve been contained instead into a solid 5-song EP that runs off with those consistently high points. And those flaws do manage to hurt the writing as well, especially with how much a lot of its bombastic detail works with the intense angle it is aiming for. Consistently nervy and imposing where there’s nothing in their way that’s stopping their groove, a statement that fumbles when the album doesn’t manage to bring a slimmer package for the songs to continuously punch further rather than lose gas at certain moments.
‘WOOF.’ despite its hangups, is still a debut that pulls off the kind of rabid synth-punk and dance-punk sound that does deliver its highest points when the grooves just spark and grind. Yet with the album having the flimsy structure and momentum that it has, it could have been tightened even further to allow those earth-shaking moments to carry more pummeling weight. It may carry the astounding energy of a small dog, but the loud barks it unleashes do fickle - even if the sound it makes still brings noteworthy attention.
Favorite Tracks: ‘Closer to God’, ‘Wither’, ‘King of the Slugs’, ‘Running’
Least Favorite Track: ‘Clowns’