Though a rare occurrence, every once in a while, you’ll come across an album that hangs upon one specific track. The musical switch at the center of The Dodos fifth album, Carrier, is ironically titled “Confidence”. Carrier gets off to a bit of a shaky start, but there’s a moment in which “Confidence” leads the group into a much more upbeat, up-tempo, and energized territory. With this track, they provide a much fresher approach and some glaring insight into what the album could have been had they infused each song with the same emphasis and enthusiasm.
Although “Confidence” certainly acts as a catalyst to Carrier, it doesn’t exactly strap a rocket onto the rest of the album. After this proverbial peak, everything begins to gradually descend back into a more casual, overly calm and mediocre plain. There are some really pretty moments scattered across the record, and Meric Long’s reflective harmonies make for cheery and brightly lit listening at times. The trouble with this release, though, is its tendency to lean too heavily on a set number of generic tropes and a group of ideas that have been done before and done better. Not to mention, it lends itself to repetition far too often. Carrier isn’t necessarily a bad album — it’s just somewhat uninspired and tired sounding.
Had they capitalized on the energetic burst they manifest three tracks in, Carrier could have been something much more memorable. As it stands, though, the fifth full length effort from The Dodos is far too neutral and unmotivated to make any real impact.
