Getting set for the release of their debut full length Kicking Every Day, Ohio quartet All Dogs have spent the summer dropping songs for the insatiably emotive. Everything between the release of “Georgia” at the end of last year and Kicking Every Day’s newest track “How Long” suggests the band has been steadily honing their craft. As much as they display careful attention to lyrics and highly emotional self-expression, there is also an attention given to crystalline songwriting and being present. On “How Long,” the appeal of All Dogs shines through via a bleeding heart that won’t just let the song drown in blood.
The song kicks off as lead singer Maryn Jones sets the tone crooning, “A new garden every year/ Getting what I want/ How do I feel?”. The songs’ sharper production lets the vocals ring over everything without diluting the strength of the instrumentation. As Jones is delivering the “how long’s,” the guitar cushions the melody with dualistic leads and warm fuzz. The mix of the guitar and bass across the board possess a tense and frenetic quality while simultaneously feeling like they’re being dragged out by the pace and strength of the drums. Perhaps this is a tonal equivalent of leaping from your bed without making the springs in your mattress squeak; a kind of articulate drudgery that translates well and makes the song. Just as “How Long” builds your level of comfort with a certain density of instrumentation, it passes it. By the end Jones is wailing, the wall of sound is in full effect, and you’re sitting there deep in the feels not knowing whether you should feel inclined to mope or not. Moping, which would really only be testament to how excellent the song is.
Stream “How Long” below:
Kicking Every Day is out 8/28 on Salinas Records.
