The original track has a slightly heavier melody; it is beautifully crowded with aggressive guitar riffs and passionate vocals. This reworking is thinned out slightly but is still effortlessly beautiful to listen to — just that little bit more joyous.
Speaking on their version, Frankie Cosmos explains in a press release that: “They [Daisy the Great] were super game to try new things and have the song turn out different from the original. I was psyched that they were willing to entirely switch their vocal parts; I loved hearing them basically flip registers to bring the song a new vibe”.
Their infamous “hocket” vocal sound remains distinct and ever-present on the track, but they take risks by restructuring the song and vocals to match the new, easy going beat of the reimagined track. This vocal switch-up certainly paid off. They not only demonstrate their terrific vocal range, but they also give the listener space to really enjoy them as a band that writes fantastic lyrics.
In shifting the tone in which they sing, their diction becomes somewhat clearer than in the original recording of the track. Therefore, lyrics such as: “New York is Melting, I’m a mouse in a maze” and “Walking my feet like a dog on the street / and my head's in the leaves” land with much more emotional integrity.
They are a band that suits an experimental, ever-changing style; their Phoebe Bridgers-esque sound is pleasant, and they have played around with it to create a unique blend of emo-folk and indie-rock. However, they are really at their best when playing around with lyrical form and their vocals. This groovy reimagining of ‘Dog’ proves just that!
Still to come on the album is an even gentler reworking of the soft-rock ballad, ‘Dream Song’, alongside LA-born Girlpool’s lead singer, Harmony Tividad, as well as the transformation of the darkly theatrical ‘Lemon Seeds’ into an indie-dance piece with another Brooklyn-based duo, Ray Bull, at the helm. It must also be commended that Daisy the Great keep the importance of place at the center of their work by collaborating with so many Brooklyn-based artists who reinforce the intimacy that comes with the intersection of New York and Youth.
It is safe to say that the dog days are certainly over for Daisy the Great, with this single and new album promising many exciting collaborations and asserting their status as key players in the world of alternative indie-pop!
Cory Gourley
Image: ‘Dog (Frankie Cosmos Version)’ Official Single Cover
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