Dog Bite - Tranquilizers

The shambling corpse of chillwave is just a little depressing at this point. Yet Dog Bite, possibly in an attempt to reinvigorate it, have stuck to their guns. ‘Tranquilizers’ shows considerable growth over last year’s ‘Velvet Changes’, in that each song is distinguishable from the last. It may not be the leap in quality to stand alongside a ‘Life of Leisure’ or a ‘Psychic Chasms’, but it’s still resulted in an intermittently enjoyable record, albeit one that suffers from a lack of quality control. The atmospheric and occasionally cacophonous textures emanate an inviting warmth, even if some of the tracks aren’t quite as eventful as they really should be. Although having said that, the rhythms aren’t as mushy as they were before, but sometimes little details still get lost in the mix.

The thick layers of reverb and buzzing atmosphere are the most appealing elements, but they also act as a massive detractor for the majority of the songs. It’s hard to hear what front man Phil Jones is even singing on some songs, as his vocals frequently drown in the grimy mix. It’s quite evidently a deliberate stylistic choice, but it gets in the way, decreasing the enjoyment of many of the otherwise, inviting atmospheres. If a little more time been spent focusing on the increased R&B influence, ‘Tranquilizers’ could’ve been the rejuvenation chillwave deserves.