by Patrick Pilch (@pratprilch)
Since their humble lo-fi debut in 2017, Lost Dog have followed an unwrinkled path of sonic evolution. Last year’s Precious Stuff was cathartically raw, bubbling with a pointed angst hinting at something bigger for the Somerville four piece. The seven song EP was scrappy and metamorphic; a head-turning snapshot of Lost Dog on the brink of transition. Don’t Feel That is the band’s fate unfurled, materializing in three ripping pieces of head spinning power pop. The lyrics are stronger, the hooks are tighter and the band’s songwriting is even more precise.
For their latest release, the noise pop four-piece wade further into alt rock territories, weaving gritty melodies and quick-twitch riffs that survey 90s-tinged indie rock under a modern lens. Mixed by Andi Jones at So Big Auditory and mastered by Bill Henderson at Azimuth Mastering, Lost Dog’s razor sharp fuzz is at its best on Don’t Feel That. The honorary title track centers around an unwelcome imperative, as Katya Malison croons on how others attempt to control how we process our own emotions, singing “Feeling fleeting but it’s leaving residue/Caught me crying prize in hand and you/said don’t be sad, don’t feel that.”
“Hey Man” hits like a Swirlies by Speedy number, wrapped and rolled into Lost Dog’s sugar-coated charm. Rich harmonies coil around meandering guitar lines on the EP’s chugging, pissed-off slow burner. The EP is crammed with windingly tight pop hooks, as each track strikes in sweet stinging succession. Lost Dog’s songs are written together and the camaraderie has never been more apparent - Don’t Feel That is the band’s best sounding material to date and a unclouded glimpse into a band’s promising future.