#117 the dodos – red and purple

with bands like animal collective unleashing album after album of campfire songs, indie pop tribalism has never been this popular. for me, though, my love for the genre (has it become one, or has it gone beyond that already?) stretches beyond the frenzied melodies of avey tare & co to the folk anthems of akron/family, the mantra pop of the now defunct beta band, and even the psychedelic stomps of early clinic. i hear bits and pieces of these influences in the dodos‘ visiter, an album that somehow seeped through the cracks for me when it was released earlier this year. meric long, one half of the duo, relocated to tahiti for an entire summer, and during his stay soaked in the tribal atmosphere of the local drumming ceremonies. that probably explains the strong emphasis on percussions in this album – something you see in “red and purple”, which boasts a frantic beat that seems initially at odds with the fine folk melodies of the song, only to blend perfectly as the song progresses. it’s also making me revisit my old akron/family, beta band and clinic albums, which i think i’ll feature one by one in the next few posts.

mp3: the dodos – red and purple

visiter is available on frenchkiss records.