Both Ways Open Jaws

A frenzy of strings, guitars and pounding drums that twists and turns without warning. The sophomore effort of French-Finnish pop duo The Dø combines traditional instrumentation with experimental electronic noise—film score orchestration collides with distorted stomping and synths. Olivia Merilahti channels Bjork at times with her . Every song distinct from the one before it, every second unpredictable. Solid indie rock.

Highlights: 4, 8, 9, 12, 14. No FCCs.

1. Dust It Off: minimal piano figure, layers of ghostly vocals echoed – bam! trip-hop drum fills and then out.
2. Gonna Be Sick!: groove to a descending bass line, xylophone hits, belted vocals and cymbal-heavy drums.
3. The Wicked & The Blind: rolling drums, distorted synth and – wait, cinematic strings? Epic and unpredictable song.
4. Too Insistent: bending electric guitar, shakers & woodblocks, strings & horn hits. This song moves – great for driving.
5. Bohemian Dances: stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, slow cello build, tense piano chords with metallic and vocal percussion. Dark and gentle then bright.
6. Smash Them All (Night Visitors): thick bass, slow-strummed guitar and climactic strings. Gets moving for a bit but more of a relaxed ballad.
7. Leo Leo: sparse instrumentation, whispering synths, Merilahti’s vocals stacked on top of one another.
8. B.W.O.J.: driving drum solos, dance synths, deep bass, distant howling and chanting. Instrumental.
9. Slippery Slope: “Walk walk walk me home”, toms on toms, slipping in and out of verses. Awesome repetition.
10. The Calendar: chirpy spring guitar tune with bouncing drums and bass, and Sufjan-like violin.
11. Was It a Dream?: lullaby with foggy drums and soft violin swooping.
12. Quake, Mountain, Quake: triumphant bass, intricate drums, storms of horns and distorted synth. A soundtrack for reaching the summit.
13. Moon Mermaids: brief rhythm with vocals then the calm drone of strings and horns. A nighttime sonata.
14. Open C: building drums and wavering synth – turns into a dance tune and then an abrupt stop.
15. No Clue: in-your-face horns, fun skip-down-the-sidewalk groove – howling trumpet solo turns it into a jazz jam session with a surreal synth fade-out!

- Smoochie Wallace