SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FAT DOG – CANCEL ME (I’M TIRED)

FAT DOG
CANCEL ME (I’M TIRED)
DOMINO RECORDING COMPANY

Fat Dog, one of the most boisterous acts to emerge from the UK within the last few years, has just released an explosive sophomore LP that sounds like what you would dance to at the end of the world.

The septet’s blend of dance-punk and electronic music is hard to define. Throughout their latest record, one can hear Joe Love’s performances oscillate between heavy and furious, soft and melodic, or palpably anguished. The first of these is perfectly showcased on the opener “Smile and Wave,” which sets the tone for just how angry the band is going to be on this record. The track features thick electronic bass, rapid drum rhythms, cinematic strings, and a livid, almost theatrical performance from Love himself, which works in perfect tandem with the song’s deeply cynical lyrics. Unfortunately, this level of emotional and sonic intensity isn’t really replicated until the killer penultimate track “The Devil.” The band’s combative attitude is continued on the subsequent “Go Fuck Urself” and title track, but both fail to capture the same satisfying intensity as the opener. The lyrics here try so hard to be edgy and abrasive that they just come across as painfully corny. “Shit Love” is another highlight, however. The fed-up lyrics form an interesting contrast with the quirky, danceable, and utterly smile-inducing production. The bustling rhythms created by the keys and drums are so addictive that one may forget just how mean-spirited the songwriting is. The same can be said about the dizzying synths and dramatic horns on “Bad Dog”, which underscore some of the crudest lyrics on the whole album.

The record is not all chaos though. “Heart of Darkness” almost sounds like it’s from a different album entirely due to how comparatively gentle and accessible it is. The production possesses a colorful melancholy ripped straight from the 80s and Joe Love showcases some impressive vocal range, but it does feel like a bit of a strange outlier within the tracklist, especially when placed between two emotionally aggressive songs. The same can be said for “Snakes,” which comes across as more whiney and pathetic than emotionally compelling.  “Call It What You Want” is much more effective in this department. Love brings a relatively emotional delivery, but the tense guitar melodies and bold instrumental crescendos give it a gusto that feels much more appropriate for this album experience. But after all this chaos, the album ends on a rather depressing note with “Aliens,” a track with defeated lyrics and a slow, nocturnal progression that culminates in an emotionally explosive and anguished climax, bringing this fiery album to a tender close.

Though Cancel Me (I’m Tired) may not be the most cohesive project, it is a breath of fresh air within its contemporaneous landscape. The group’s melding of genres is admirable and invigorating, and the bite behind their writing is so unbridled that they become hard not to root for. Sometimes it’s a bit much, but it’s always better to go big than to go home.

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