On their first album in 22 years, semi-grungy and orchestral power-poppers That Dog (usually stylized as “that dog.”) make a stupendous return that ranks easily among their best work, from the hard-rocking “Just the Way” and “If You Just Didn’t Do it,” to the more tender approach of “Your Machine” and “Bird on a Wire.” Titles like “When We Were Young” and of course the title-track, “Old LP” are no doubt in-jokes about the long gap between records, but the former is a sunny mid-tempo number with impressive vocal harmonies, while the latter is the true highlight of the record, as it is a very heartfelt tribute to the Haden sisters’ father, famous jazz bassist and bandleader, Charlie Haden, who died in 2014.
Really, the title-track of this record is one of the most ambitious and beautifully soaring songs of the year. With its intricate arrangement and insistent melody, it is truly award-worthy. This whole album was made with love and it shows.
After twenty-two years, it’s here: “Old LP”, is the fourth full-length from legendary guitar pop group that dog., and the first since 1997’s Retreat From the Sun. In some ways, it finds the three members of that dog.—guitarist/vocalist Anna Waronker, bassist/vocalist Rachel Haden, and drummer Tony Maxwell—picking up where they left off. Across its eleven songs, there are interlocking vocal melodies, hooks-on-hooks, and Waronker’s signature guitar tuning.
There’s the unshakeable tension between sweetness and dissonance, between dark and light, between life-or-death seriousness and tongue-in-cheek wordplay. But with two decades of life experience behind them, the dynamics of that dog. are now notably more stark and sophisticated, layered and multi-dimensional.
Band Members
Anna Waronker, Rachel Haden, and Tony Maxwell
The new album, “Old LP” released, October 4
