2024 will mark the 25th anniversary of Dr. Dog. That’s their 175th anniversary in dog years.
The Philly-based band poses to promote their 2018 album, Critical Equation.
The band known today as Dr. Dog began in 1999 as the psych-pop side-experiment of college students Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken, who were both playing in their old band Raccoon at the time. Leaman and McMicken had been making music together since middle school, always preferring to write their own music rather than cover existing tracks. This passion stayed with them as they grew and met other musical minds. Zach Miller was the next significant member to join the group, attending West Chester University alongside the two frontmen and adding keys to their respective guitar and drums. The band underwent several lineup changes throughout the years but at its core consists of Leaman, McMicken, Miller, Frank McElroy, guitarist who joined in 2006, and Eric Slick, who became the band’s drummer in 2010.
Their earliest works, compiled on the album The Psychedelic Swamp, was self recorded and released back in 2001, but wasn’t available on streaming services until it was refined and rereleased in 2016. It was their second album, Toothbrush, of 2003, that helped get them discovered. It differed greatly from the trippy amusements they had put out just two years prior. The sophomore album contains dreary blues tunes that float along rivers of backup harmonies and harmonica such as, “I Can’t Fly,” and soft guitar ballads like, “Mystery to Me” and “County Line.” After listening to Toothbrush, Jim James of My Morning Jacket ended up inviting Dr. Dog to join them on their next two tours.
This allowed Dr. Dog to break out of the local Philly music scene and gain more of a national audience. They continued to tour and drop new music including 2005’s Easy Beat, 2007’s We All Belong, and 2008’s Fate. Around the same time they began to get slots on late-night talk shows with David Letterman, Conan O’Brian, and Jimmy Fallon, as well as book larger festival gigs, performing at Coachella in 2009.
It was the following years that Dr. Dog developed the sound they became known for. With 2010’s Shame, Shame, 2012’s Be the Void, and 2013’s B-Room they began to drift away from their soft melodies and fading train-of-thought lyrics and add more rock and alternative elements. Shame, Shame tells tales of accepting mediocrity, getting fed up with loneliness, and the myriad of ways that things are not always as they seem. The title track begins a melancholy pity party and swells into a strenuous confrontation of the self. However, it’s “Where’d All the Time Go?” that not only steals the show on this album but goes on to be their most popular song to this day. The glimmering opening chords lull into wavering verses that trail off into dejected truths. The song builds until it breaks, electric guitar crying out until its, as the last line voices, “gone in the blink of an eye.” Pitchfork’s Zach Kelly found the album to be, “arguably the band’s finest moment. As if working in reverse, the band is finally making terse, jaunty chamber-pop and folk-inflected rock collages that would suggest the work of a younger, wide-eyed outfit.” The years of honing their sound were worth it, as the next album hit almost as hard.
Be the Void tackles similar themes of helplessness towards time and conditions of isolation, but does it with a cavalier, lofty acceptance and more hints of classic rock. Even though critics failed to fall in love this time, the album certainly remains a fan favorite, with hit tracks “How Long Must I Wait,” “Lonesome,” and “That Old Black Hole.” The songs are full harmonies built on joyous comradery and countless twists on classic cliches. Ironically, their song “Be the Void,” wasn’t ready to drop with its namesake album, not getting published until later in the year on their EP Wild Race.
The following album, B-Room, brings yet another change in sound. It is joyous and brassy, with bright, danceable melodies such as “Nellie” and jumpy, playful tunes like “Distant Light.” Even though the lyrics revolve around inner quandaries and worries, singing of broken hearts and downward spirals, hope and happiness rule this album. There may still be dark clouds ahead, but as Scott McMicken belts out with radiance to finish up the opening track, “let the rain fall.”
Dr. Dog’s 10th and most recent full length album was put out over five years ago in 2018, titled Critical Equation. They had become largely a touring band for the most part, dropping surprise album Abandoned Mansion on bandcamp in 2017, but not much else in the middle. Yet during this time they failed to fine-tune their sound as they had in the past. As Chris Ingalls of PopMatters article put it, “If you’re a Dr. Dog fan and love what they do, chances are you won’t be disappointed. But more critical listeners may hear these songs and feel there’s something lacking.” There are moments that shine, such as the serenity filled verses on “Buzzing in the Light,” but the album as a whole lacks a coherent feel. The rhythms feel repetitive and the sound lacks depth. Even as a longtime fan, I found myself a little disappointed.
Critical Equation was followed up the subsequent year with two more singles published as Critical 7”. Since then, there hasn’t been much from Dr. Dog. They announced their final tour in 2021, not necessarily disbanding, but they wouldn’t be touring with the frequency their fans had grown accustomed to.So what’s happened during this hiatus?
It’s given the members a chance to pursue individual projects. 2022 brought a six track EP from Toby Leaman titled Military Applications. Leaman dazzles in the spotlight he usually shares with McMicken. Each song explores not just a different tone but a different genre altogether. John Vettese of WXPN notes that, “these six songs show his eclectic array of sonic leanings, from rootsy soul to heady dub, his ever-gruff vocal cutting through the mix with warm and uplifting melodies.” He is joined on the drums by fellow canine Eric Slick. Leaman hit the stage with these tunes as an opener for Alex G, who coincidentally had opened for Dr. Dog on their 2018 tour.
Scott McMicken was no stranger to solo projects, putting out his own LP in 2016. However, this time around he used his freedom to collaborate with a new group. In March of this year he put out the album Shabang as the head of Scott McMicken and THE EVER-EXPANDING. Full of folksy vocals, jazzy trumpets, and bluesy guitar riffs, the album sounds experimental yet familiar. In “Letters to the Editor,” McMicken solemnly begs a newspaper to help him make a last-ditch grand gesture, and in “Reconcile” he plays with the idea of inevitable forgiveness. The sound is certainly Dr. Dog adjacent at times, but different enough that McMicken can call the project his own.
Drummer Eric Slick has kept busy as well, aside from his aforementioned collaboration with Leaman. In 2019 he put out the album Palisades, followed by Wiseacre in 2020. The two share many similarities, but the latter has a notably softer touch and more introspection. In “Quarantine,” Slick compares himself to that year’s infamous disease and sings of pushing others away. “Closer to Heaven” shimmers and flows, a surprisingly pleasing mix of classical strings and distorted guitar. Slick also worked with Bartees Strange, Finom, and Anjimile on a couple songs in 2021. Though his most recently released work is his cover of The Flaming Lips song “Riding to Work in the Year 2025,” which he took pride in getting a blessing to perform. Slick’s independent work certainly shows the most range of his bandmates.
On November 13th, Dr. Dog announced that they’ll be playing a show at Red Rocks on July 18th, 2024. The Fruitbats will be opening. “And that’s the whole plan at this moment. No more shows are in the works right now. But we are very happy to announce Red Rocks and we hope you can join us. That would be fun,” the band shared with their mailing list, careful not to cause any further speculation. The show sold out during the artist-presale, fans clearly unwilling to miss what could be their last chance to see this alt-rock Philly band.