Visiter

I was unaware of this band prior to buying their album - I had happened upon the page by some odd circumstance and saw the glowing, albeit small number, of reviews. I listened to the clips and thought it sounded interesting enough to take a chance on. I had the sense that even if the seven prior reviews were submitted by friends of the band that the little I had heard was enough of a guarantee that I would not be disappointed.

Do not be deceived by the cover of the album. Some covers oversell the music; this one is very humble. A first listen to this album is much like receiving a gift wrapped in brown paper from a distant but dear friend - It is a wonderful surprise from a source both familiar and enriched by new experiences. I played this album while on my way to work and was so captivated by it that I remained outside, sitting under the blue sky and growing trees, until the last song had played out.

Every song on Visiter is a wonderful piece of craft but it is even better taken as a complete experience. I have many albums of which I have only a few songs that I listen to: Visiter is a exciting ride from start to finish. The band should be quite proud of this evocation.

The music is full of driving rhythms punctuated by bright, crisp off-beat percussion, surrounded by moments of guitar (sometimes clear and upbeat, sometimes roughly acoustic, sometimes distorted), banjo, and (I believe) I heard an uke as well. It swells, flows, recedes and then hits you where you can feel it. Every sound in this album feels well-intended and vital, adding a variety of twists of melody, tone, and tempo that make this one of the most exciting albums I have heard in this year. The vocals are excellent and beautiful as are the lyrics which are sensitive and well-written, fun, evocative, and well-worth a deeper listen.

I believe (sticking my neck out here) that listeners of any of the following bands would find this an exceptional addition (I go further: if all these groups were placed in a musical blender you may come out with a rough approximation):
- Menomena
- Beirut
- Sufjan Stevens
- The Magnetic Fields
- Death Cab for Cutie
- Neutral Milk Hotel

With all the ingredients to quickly become my favorite band I recommend this without reservation. I can imagine that they are also brilliant as a live act, which I hope to personally confirm soon...

Update (July 2008): Excellent live band as well - can't wait until next time they come around.

Just when you thought nothing is music could surprise you anymore, here come the Dodos and their fabulous album "Visiter". The instrumentation for the most part seems pretty straightforward, vocals, drums, guitar but as you get into the album, you'll be amazed at what they're able to accomplish. This album is definitely a grower, as you will probably enjoy the album as a whole on first listen, but on repeated listens the album really opens up and reveals its many charms. Among the 14 tracks there are several standouts including Red and Purple, God?, Paint the Rust, Fools, Jody, and Winter. If you enjoy male harmonies with interesting arrangements and foot tapping rhythms, there is plenty for you to get into here.

I listen to a lot of music and typically will listen to an album from start to finish and then swap it out for something else. Well, I've been having trouble with this practice recently as I simply can not stop listening to this album. For a straight week I don't think I took it out of my car's cd player. Really, anyone that typically enjoys interesting and moving indie music should jump on board. I'm not saying that the Dodos sound like these artists, but I think if you've enjoyed the latest albums by Sufjan Stevens, Destroyer, Grizzly Bear, Deer Tick, Plants and Animals or Andrew Bird that this cd would certainly fit in nicely with that collection.

Check this album out, and I hope you'll fall in love with it as much as I have.

Happy Listening!
Sean Murphy

For only two people, the Dodos are incredibly creative and never out of fresh ideas. Each song has a great melody thant you will easily find yourself singing along to. Their drums are probably the most creative I've ever heard and I think about them everytime I get behind a drumset. The song transitions are great and they have a good combo of both long and short songs. If there's anyway they can top this album, they will go far.

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