There are plenty of reasons to dig this record. While comparisons to shoegaze artists like My Bloody Valentine are painfully obvious (the way Takemura's drums echo heavily and steadily paired with Jones' guitar chords hanging languidly in the air on the first half of "Clarinets" calls to mind The Jesus and Mary Chain circa Psychocandy), Jones has said Tranquilizers was largely inspired by R&B and soul mainstays Isaac Hayes and Otis Redding. With 10 tracks that all bleed into each other inextricably and topping off at 35 minutes, the album feels like one extended trance - a mid-summer day dripping with humidity. Dog Bite's sophomore effort is described as a "darker, more full-bodied experience," compared to their 2013 debut Velvet Changes. Perhaps signifiers aren't helpful in explaining Dog Bite's sound, but if I were to attempt to sum it up, Tranquilizers is an immersive dreampop record with a backbone comprised of the roots of soul and funk music. Better yet, Jones' self-description: "Dog Bite combines all your hopes and dreams, fuses them with grapes and butterflies, and then lays them out on a tray with sliced oranges." 

Recommended Tracks: #2 "We", #3 Lady Queen", #6 "Wonder Dark" 

Sigmund Steiger