Much has been made about Dr. Dog’s throwback sound, drawing comparisons to the Beatles, The Band, and Post Brian Wilson breakdown Beach Boys.  Their latest effort, Fate keeps the comparisons in tact, turning in solid album full of quirky, original pop tunes.

The trademark sound is still present, but this album is a decidedly more produced effort than “We All Belong” or “Easy Beat”.  String arrangements, horn sections, and heavy layering of vocals help create very deep textures throughout this album.  The aforementioned vocal layering leads to some really great harmonies that serve as some of the high points of this album.

Fate is great in parts, including the album’s opener, “The Breeze”.  There are other high water marks on this album including the charming three part harmonies of “From”, the unbelievably catchy “The Rabbit, The Bat, and The Reindeer”, and the more than formidable closer “My Friend”.

You can’t help but feel that Dr. Dog is on the cusp of something great, and I for one will be lining up for the next concert or album release.  As for Fate, while it might not be the masterpiece I was looking for, it is a very strong effort from a very good band, and is certainly worth a listen.