London quartet bring their overwhelming bite on debut.
OVERVIEW
Ah, Fat Dog. If you ever caught a whiff of Fat Dog‘s live shows – non-stop for 50 minutes, mind – it’s easy to understand why they’ve been hotly-tipped as one of the UK’s most exciting bands. The bumptious noise of Fat Dog is a firm favourite amongst the holy grandiose of BBC‘s 6Music and NME, as “Britain’s wildest band” in 2023. The group have since caught alight everything it comes into contact with, as it blasts through ever-so expansive constructs of “alternative” music.
If we’re going by the way of definition, alternative music is a lazy term coined when music cannot really be pigeonholed into a definitive bracket or genre. In it’s own lane. By that definition then, I think it’s fair to say that the South Londoners have their own damn motorway.
Now, we see the accumulation of Fat Dog’s pack come into full force as they release their 9-track debut, aptly titled WOOF, this week. Abound with bloated sax and synth, you can be one of two things when listening to Fat Dog. You can be Ali Baba on a stark and wild Arabian night losing your mind in the dunes. Or you can be a traditional twisted raver banging your head against the bathroom cubical wall. Either way, it’s utter madness. And it’s great.
SONG-TO-SONG
“We’re all just dogs, gnashing our teeth at the moon,” frontman Joe Love announces on first death march Vigilante, a fitting introduction to the 9-parter, as it seemingly throws out Middle East flautists. Closer to God introduces us to Morgan Wallace and his meaty saxophone, while Wither is a wonky crescendo of 8-bit boss battles. Clowns and I am the King both offer something a little more unexpected to Fat Dog’s sound as both give off ascending segues, similar to what the likes of Enter Shikari may do. Before too long we’re seduced to the fattening meat and potatoes again with the likes of King of the Slugs and Running following. Both are equally rambunctious and mighty in display – not giving any scent of taking it nice and easy. This lot are feral.
All the Same is a stalwart stand-out in its techno-funky splurges and screeching seagull synths before a Love monologue closes out this chapter – “You can kill the man, but you cannot kill the dog.” It all seems over in an instant but with the sort of ferocious energy and attitude these guys are bringing, they never intend to outstay their welcome.
While the pattern of Fat Dog may remain linear in its configuration, the purpose here isn’t supposed to make you think about anything at all. Fat Dog are simply here to make you forget, feel and dance. It’s an audacious affair and it makes me grin from ear-to-ear.
You can catch them on their upcoming UK tour as I’m doing later in the year:
- Belfast: 8th Nov
- Glasgow: 9th Nov
- Leeds: 10th Nov
- Nottingham: 11th Nov
- Manchester: 13th Nov
- Sheffield: 14th Nov
- Bristol: 15th Nov
- Birmingham: 16th Nov
- Cardiff: 17th Nov
- Southampton: 21st Nov
- Brighton: 22nd Nov
- London: 23rd Nov
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