by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Our time on Earth isn’t guaranteed and Portland, Maine’s Chris Gervais is certainly making the most of it, releasing records at a furious pace with a long string of projects. His focus these days seems to be with Dog Park, a new lo-fi trio formed last year together with Quinn Farwell (guitar), and Jason Engler (bass). Set to release their new album, Scotty, on January 24th with Are You Kidding Me? Tapes (Spowder, Joy Cleaner), you can already preview “Diver” and “Red Cabbage” on the band’s Bandcamp page, two wonderfully lo-fi pop nuggets that paint a great picture as to what Dog Park offer.
Their latest single, “Fielder,” opens with a wonky and warped bit of dialogue (I think), slowed to an unintelligible pace that kinda sounds like adults talking in Peanuts. From their the tape runs and the band’s fried jangle comes seeping in, sounding as though the band are practicing in the floor below you. Gervais’ lyrics open with the self deprecating line, “I always embarrass myself, by being alive,” and things don’t really get a lot sunnier from there. Then again, Dog Park don’t allow for a lot of shifts with their quick run times, generally in and out in less than a minute, making their point and sticking with it.