While the old cliché claims that you can't ever go home again,
B-Room,
Dr. Dog's first album in their new studio, makes a pretty strong case for just building a new home. Continuing to use the same collaborative process the group began to explore on
Be the Void, it feels as though a place to call their own was the missing ingredient for the bandmembers. Despite it only being a year since their last release, it feels as if
Dr. Dog are refreshed and reinvigorated, returning to the studio with an enthusiasm and warmth that shines through on the album. This gives
B-Room a kind of comforting warmth that's hard to resist as it throws its metaphorical arms over listeners' shoulders and invites them to sing along.
B-Room also feels like the band's most soulful work to date. On album opener "The Truth,"
Dr. Dog evoke the Philly soul of their native Pennsylvania with a song that finds them infusing their pop leanings with the lush sounds of classic acts like
the Delfonics. This opener creates a nice nostalgic feeling, putting listeners in the right headspace for the rest of the album as
Dr. Dog weave together the sounds of the past to create something that somehow feels both fresh and ornate. While it shouldn't be a surprise for a
Dr. Dog album to be a beautifully crafted slice of psych-pop goodness, the magic of the band lies in its ability to consistently beguile listeners with a sound that shows all the mark of genuine craftsmanship, something
B-Room delivers from start to finish. ~ Gregory Heaney