Dodson And Fogg follow up album "Derring Do"

Tracklist: Introduction (2:12), Flying High (3:01), The Leaves They Fall (2:54), Can't Hold Me Down (2:59), What Goes Around (3:35), Too Bright (3:43), To the Sea (3:24), Dreams Of You And Me (2:54), Like It Was Yesterday (3:24), I Have You (3:08), Everybody Knows (2:41), Time (3:06), The World Goes By (4:49), Derring-Do (1:48), Why Not Take Your Time? (4:19)

We reviewed Dodson and Fogg's debut a short while ago and we liked it. Leeds-based Chris Wade is the man behind the band and he sings, as well as playing guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion and flute. He's enlisted the help of Celia Humphris (Trees) on vocals on seven of the tracks, and Alison O'Donnell (Mellow Candle) on one, as well as Nik Turner (Hawkwind) on flute, Colin Jones on trumpet and Amanda Votta on flute.

"That's a lot of flutes", I hear you say and whilst other reviewers have mentioned Jethro Tull don't be expecting any standing on one leg frenzied flute action.

Indeed, for this review I am kind of going to recreate, through the medium of balloon modelling, a conversation I had with Chris the other night at an exhibition opening where his partner, Linzi Napier, exhibits her work. Linzi has provided the original art for the rear of the CD cover, and is an immensely talented Leeds-based artist.

What I said to Chris was that I have, over the past 9 months or so, become increasingly disillusioned with much of what passes for 'progressive' rock music nowadays. As its popularity increases, albeit very much still within a niche market, the number of bands pedalling generic, soulless bilge has increased exponentially. In my opinion of course but the genre is awash with Billingsgate fish market female shouters, Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree clones, extreme metallers who play a bit of widdly keyboard every now and then in between the grunting.

What I have found refreshing, though, are bands like Dodson and Fogg, These Curious Thoughts, KingBathmat and echolyn to name a few who are making truly original music, without seeing the need to clog the soundstage up with unnecessary instrumentation, over-production or Pro-toolery. The songs are given room to breathe, the melodies become all important and sometimes it's the gaps between the instruments that are truly spectacular, aurally.

The debut, and this second album have been garnering lots of positive reviews, and Chris was recently interviewed by the Classic Rock Society. There he mentioned his influences were Leonard Cohen, early Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, really early Jethro Tull. His favourite songwriter, though, is Ray Davies and there's a quintessential Englishness (have a listen to Too Bright) to this record that reflects that I think.

I love how no song ever outstays its welcome, how the vocals and lyrics support the tune, and not the other way round, and how every bit of instrumentation, be it trumpet, flute, acoustic or electric guitar is almost perfectly placed. Record and mix it any other way and it loses its beauty, its fragility, its inner core. It is, dare I say it, art. Art that serves no purpose other than to be art.

But what I love more than anything are the electric guitar sounds this young man creates. The trumpet on What Goes Around is pretty special too, as is the acoustic guitar and trumpet on Too Bright (early Tull, anyone?) but I digress. Guitar-wise, check out Can't Hold Me Down and Too Bright for example. I get very, very early Buck Dharma, in both Stalk Forrest Group and Blue Öyster Cult incarnations. Lovely, psychedelic, sparse guitar runs, or flourishes, even notes that make me at least beam from ear to ear. It's To The Sea where the guitar lets rip though, albeit in a very restrained, beautiful way. Notes, chords of electric guitar duet with strummed acoustic as the song gathers pace, wanting to break lose but resisting the temptation. The prog equivalent of tantric sex methinks. It's a staggering piece of music. And I'm spent.

There's been other good reviews on pennyblackmusic, CRS and others. For more info check out:

http://wisdomtwinsbooks.weebly.com/dodson-and-fogg.html