THE DODOS

CARRIER (Polyvinyl)

16/20

Following the death of The Dodos and Women guitarist Christopher Reimer last year, the former band’s latest LP is by no means a subdued one. Instead, Carrier is an album that has imbibed the spirit of their short-lived collaboration. The Dodos’ usual open-tuned guitar-pickery is in parts replaced by a thinner, tenser sound – an apparent product of Reimer’s brief tenure as a live guitarist with the band. Carrier has lost none of the usual polyrhythmic tomfoolery you’d expect. What it has gained, however, is a focus that, while tragic in its nature, has paid dividends in its significance. First single Confidence is a perfect example. While retaining The Dodos’ warm, folksy songcraft in the first section, it comes underpinned by a minimal, irregular guitar line, laying the foundation for the very un-Dodos guitar thrash in the second. Meanwhile, Family keeps things comparatively simple in its straightforward dreampop – however the layered, fuzzy guitar solo lends itself to the song’s coda of “Success is failure / Failure’s assured”. Whilst this may not be a restrained record, it’s certainly a reflective one. It’s not often bands pay tribute to someone in music rather than lyrics, but on Carrier, The Dodos have pulled this off with real flair.

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Words: Jon Clark