“Dance, Monkey, dance!” – we all know the feeling… The exhausting notion of being pressured to live up certain people’s expectations of us, or to conform to societal norms. And the conflicted feeling of succumbing and giving into these demands, for a quieter, or simpler life.
On Play The Hits, Californian quartet Why Dogs Why perfectly encapsulate the sensation of everyday masking. It’s clearly a very personal song but also extremely relatable.
Musically, they channel the sunshiney alt-indie of Weezer and combine it with elements of Surfer Blood and early Death Cab For Cutie to make something rather unique sounding.
The background is a scenic sonic soundscape bordering on shoegaze, but at the forefront of the song are rather clean shimmery lead lines that are at odds with the aforementioned wall of sound – but the combination works well. The percussion and vocals cut through the mix well too (which is decidedly at odds with the hazy shoegaze referencing music but definitely a decision made for the best).
Overall, this is a curious and compelling piece which bodes very well for the EP of the same name, which is due out May 6th.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
