Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Dogs Die In Hot Cars’s debut album Please Describe Yourself is part of the recent new wave music that has been hitting the radio airwaves along with Frank Ferdinand and Interpol.
Dogs Die In Hot Cars resembles Interpol because of the distinct sounds of the lead singers. DDIHC’s lead singer, Craig Macintosh, can easily be distinguished as Interpol’s lead singer, Paul Banks, is. It’s what separates DDIHC from other bands.
The opening track “I Love You ‘Cause I Have To’ is so infectious. There are hints of an 80s revival through its blend of vocal inflections and instrumental simplicity. “Pastimes & Lifestyles” contrasts “I Love You” with its complexity. There are more things happening in the song, and the lyrics help how elaborate the song is: “Every morning I’m woken by sheep / Let the foot and the mouth prevail / If it means I can sleep.”
“Celebrity Sanctum” is the band’s ode to the beautiful actresses: Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It’s direct, and truthful to what every boy’s fantasies are. Just the chance to meet the women will have them falling in love: “When I meet her / We’ll be mates you’ll see / And I’ll be the guy the guys want to be.”
There is nonstop movement in the album, and it is surprising how fast the 11 tracks go. The weirdest track would hands down be “Apples & Oranges.” How many good songs are there describing eating fruit? The title alone chronicles the theme of the album – life should be fun, and eating apples and oranges is very underappreciated.
