Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group
Independent rock band The Dodies will release its forthcoming album It’s One Hell of a Ride next month.
The duo — Yoni Avittan and Ran Aronson – is scheduled to release its new 13-song record April 24. The record’s musical arrangements will appeal to fans of the punk, garage and stoner rock genres. Its often bleak lyrical themes are certain to appeal to fans of the emo genre, many of whom are also part of the punk and garage rock fan base. Of course not all of this 42-minute record falls into that mold. The record’s opener and lead single ‘Boiling Point’ supports that statement. It will be addressed shortly. The brooding ‘Suleyman,’ which comes early in the album’s run, is another standout addition to the record. It will be addressed a little later. ‘Goodbyes,’ the record’s closer, is one of the most notable of the record’s songs. It will also be discussed later. Keeping that song in mind along with the other two noted here, this record proves to be a presentation that is worth at least one listen.
The Dodies’ new album It’s One Hell of a Ride is an interesting offering from the Israeli duo. It is a work that will appeal to a very targeted audience base, as is evidenced through its musical and lyrical content. The album’s opener and lead single ‘Boiling Point’ is just one of the songs that serves t support the noted statements. The song’s musical arrangement instantly lends itself to a comparison to music from The Darkness and Royal Blood. That is especially the case in the song’s chorus as Avittan hits his high notes. He sounds just like The Darkness’ front man in those moments. The song’s manic energy serves well to help translate the emotion in the song’s lyrical content, which Avittan recently discussed in an interview about the song.
“I wrote the song when I was really depressed and felt nervous about having no sexual interaction with any woman in my early twenties,” he said. “I felt like I was in some sort of crossroads, like something drastic had to change in my life because I’m about to reach my boiling point.”
Avittan writes in the song’s lead verse, “I’m surprised that I’m so surprised/I love my TV/But it’s filled with lies/I don’t know where to go from here/If I don’t get lucky/Then it’s off the pier/Nothing wrong with being a bum/I’m not condescending/You’re just dumb/I forgot what my grandpa said/But I know I puked in my empty bed.” He adds in the song’s second verse, “I don’t want to smile again/’Cause I know I’ll blink and it’ll suddenly end/I must say that it’s quite bizarre/That I get no p**** and I play guitar/See fumes of loneliness gushing out of me/Never do my best to try and fix it up/’Cause I think I drove too far to stop.” He concludes in the song’s third verse, “Sorry if I disappoint/I’m about to reach my boiling point/Phony smile and a wave goodbye/I don’t’ wanna live/I don’t wanna die/That’s one fine comfort zone/Would you like to trade?/I can’t stand my one/Don’t ask me/I don’t know/But we might as well/Just give ‘em a show.” Avvitan’s frustrations are such that especially plenty of young male listeners will connect with his words and with the energy in the song’s musical arrangement. That ability to connect with listeners (albeit targeted listeners) with the song’s infectious arrangement and relatable lyrical content is just one example of what makes this LP worth at least one listen. It is just one of the album’s most notable entries. ‘Sulyeman’ is another intriguing addition to the album.
‘Suleyman’ is a stark contrast to ‘Boiling Point’ in its musical arrangement and its lyrical content. The song’s musical arrangement starts out in very brooding fashion before building into a distinct stoner rock approach with its fuzzed guitar sound and heavy drums set against the duo’s vocal delivery. It definitely stands out to this end, against the rest of the album’s entries. It’s just one part of what makes the song so intriguing. The song’s lyrical content adds its own share of interest to its presentation.
Considering that the members of The Dodies are from Israel (The Middle East), the first thing that comes to mind here is that perhaps the song centers on the infamous Islamic leader Suleyman. For those who might not know the history, Suleyman was an Ottoman Sultan. During the course of his life, Suleyman waged war against Christians in Europe and the Mediterranean. He also led the way in making reforms in law, education and taxation. Not only that, but Suleyman was also renowned for protecting Jewish residents who lived within the Ottoman Empire. Considering that much of Israel is populated by Jews, it would make sense that The Dodies’ work here would, in turn, be focused on him and his rule. Of course, that is all this critic’s interpretation, and could be wholly incorrect. Hopefully it is somewhere near being correct. There is no direct mention made of the legendary ruler at any point in the song, again leading one to wonder. Regardless of right or wrong, the very possibility and the discussion that is certain to ensue from that possibility is in itself reason for audiences to take in this song. Keeping this in mind, it’s one more way in which It’s One Hell of a Ride proves an interesting offering from The Dodies. It still is not the last of the album’s most notable entries. The record’s closer, ‘Goodbyes’ is another important addition to the album.
‘Goodbyes’ stands out because it is musically another piece that is unlike all of the emo-style works that make up so much of the record’s body. Yes, it is an emotional work in its simplicity, but at the same time, it is not one of those downer, oh-woe-is-me type works. It is just one guitar and one person singing. And when joined with the song’s lyrical content, which focuses on the difficulty of saying goodbye, it becomes all the more powerful and moving.
Avittan points out in the song’s final line that the song is about saying goodbye not in relation to death or a broken relationship, but about going out into the world, saying goodbye to everything and everyone that one has known and heading out into the unknown. He sings in the lead verse, “Auf widersehen/You were a great friend/You now as well that I can’t pretend/Gotta head out and see the big world/So many people from so many homes/I’m not that good at saying goodbyes/Maybe it’s ‘cause you can see through my lies/not gonna cry/It’s the sun in my eyes/I’m not that good at saying goodbye.” He adds in the song’s second verse, “Maybe I’ll slip and slowly decay/Maybe you’ll see me on TV someday/Those are big words/But I’ve got to say/Anything’s better than having to stay. I’m not that good at saying goodbyes/Picking a fight, so you won’t see me cry/I already said it’s the sun in my eyes/I’m not that good at saying goodbyes.” He goes so far as to add in the song’s final lines, “Send my goodbyes to mom and dad/Yeah/I know they’ve never been that proud/But I’ve got to go and find my way.” Some might say addressing the matter of coming of age and learning about becoming one’s own person is cliché. Maybe it is. But the way in which the matter is addressed here is anything but cliché. It is in fact, very positive and is certain to connect with plenty of listeners. When the whole of this work is considered along with the impact of the other two noted songs and the rest of the album’s entries, the whole of the album becomes a presentation that audiences will find worth at least one listen.
The Dodies’ new forthcoming LP It’s One Hell of a Ride is an intriguing offering for audiences who are perhaps not overly familiar with the duo’s work. Composed largely of musical and lyrical content that will appeal to fans of the emo, garage and punk realms, the album also presents some more personal content, as noted throughout this review. Between the songs noted here and those not addressed, the album in whole proves to be worth at least one chance. It’s One Hell of a Ride will be available independently from The Dodies April 24. More information on the album is available online along with the duo’s latest news at:
Website: http://thedodiesband.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thedodiesband
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thedodiesband
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