On their excellent debut Visiter, The Dodos were a duo who succeeded primarily because they never sounded thin or lacking, despite an absence of low-end. Solid writing and a relaxed feel helped with that, but the real clincher was the fact that they weren't nearly as loose or untrained as their scrawled artwork would have you believe. Guitarist Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber are very solid players, and understand intrinsically how to get the most out of seemingly simple interplay between each other. Expanding to a trio—via new vibraphonist/percussionist Keaton Snyder—thankfully hasn't cluttered any of this band's approachable charms. With veteran indie producer Phil Ek behind the boards, both the melodies and rhythms are slightly sharper, but the songs still careen beautifully between heart-tugging pop and dizzy, bouncy instrumental passages. And it's very fitting that despite gaining an extra member, the band still kept their bass frequencies clear and open, because even an occassional hint of aggression (the whipcracking "This Is A Business") can't distract from Time To Die's freewheeling, sunny character, one that bass, quite frankly, would've only weighed down. For a band named after an extinct, flightless bird, The Dodos are made to hit the air—they make it look (and sound) so easy.
(Tickets remain for The Dodos' upcoming Lee's Palace show on Sat. Oct 17. Opening the show is a great band from New Zealand, the Ruby Suns.)