Even the most original music has echoes of what has gone before. How can it not? Everyone is influenced, consciously or otherwise, by earlier sounds, from the vinyl our parents used to spin to the favorite bands of our formative years to the fleeting and less tangible influences we absorb all the time without even being aware of.
And so if there are hints of classic sounds such as New Order’s Ceremony heyday, Echo and the Bunnymen’s jangling, pop finesse, and more recent creatives such as shimmering, electro-rock duo M83’s, found running through Dotsun Moon’s third album, all it tells us is that they probably have rather excellent record collections.
Tiger is a consummate blend of all the elements that made those iconic sounds great in the first place, and opener “Bring Love” shimmers with a graceful, shoegaze-infused sound that sits somewhere between the obscured yet ornate sonics of Cocteau Twins and the more accessible pop sound of Beach House. The current single, “Save Us,” seamlessly blends urgency with chiming charm, drive with delicacy—a feat that most bands can only dream of. “Never Had A Heart” runs on resonance, Cure-esque bass grooves and coiled, complex guitar lines.
This album also marks a significant change for the band, which, until now, has championed a female-fronted vocal sound. This time out, as well as providing all the music, from guitars and bass to keyboards, drums, and programming, Richard Flierl now also takes care of vocal duties; his voice, perhaps, is no small part of the reason for the favorable comparisons to New Order.
But, no matter the changes, with Tiger, Dotson Moon has delivered a masterful album —one that blends shoegaze soundscaping with dream pop finesse and cinematic grandeur, all while maintaining commercial accessibility. And, if there was ever a more fitting place for the band to find itself standing on the musical map, I can’t think of it.
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