The Casual Dots’ return after eighteen years is one of 2022’s great surprises, and Sanguine Truth, the trio’s sophomore album is as welcome a comeback as any we’ve heard. It’s a pleasure to hear Christina Billotte (Slant 6, Qui*xo*tic, Autoclave), Kathi Wilcox (Bikini Kill), and Steve Dore (Snoozers) come together again after all these years, their skeletal brand of garage, doo-wop, indie, and post-punk still shining as brightly as ever. With interlocked guitars and weaving melodies, Billotte offers both concern for the world at large and a power of self, reminding us that you can only be as strong for others as you are for yourself. There’s a grounded stability to the songwriting as the band dip in and out of genre experiments, digging into the sonics that have defined much of their careers yet subverting any expectations. This isn’t a retread of the past and it’s not a cash grab, it’s The Casual Dots returning to set things right, and seemingly having a great deal of fun with the songs in the process. - DG