The Dodos are made up of Meric Long, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, and Logan Kroeber, in charge of all things percussion.  Despite having only two members, The Dodos give us a sound that feels like it should be filling a stadium.

Long and Kroeber have crafted their unique sound with an atypical approach to their instrumentation.  Kroeber never uses a kick drum on his kit and favors his toms and rim shots from the snare drum.  He also tapes a tamborine to his foot during live shows.  Long, while using traditional guitars, also brings out an eclectic mix of string instruments including a Springtime guitar and a Tafelburg drum guitar.

The Dodos can’t really be pigeon-holed into one category of music. However, their music contains elements of singer-songwriters, folk, rock, and a variety of vocal styles. Meric Long’s soft-spoken words easily ebb and flow with what one might describe as urgent shouting in a melodic manner. His words demand attention and he has no problem drawing listeners in. With driving rhythms and furiously paced acoustic guitars, The Dodos carry on from their last albums Visitor and Time to Die. However, their latest efforts are more in line with their earlier works.  Gone are the vibraphone and horns that made their last album such a deviation from their norm.

No Color includes a myriad of harmonies, keys, and backup vocals from indie rock goddess Singer. Song-writer Neko Case contributes to this album, pushing it to the point of just plain awesome.

Songs like “Black Night” and “Don’t Stop” show the variety that can be seen on No Color.  Each song pulls us in and at the end, you can’t wait for the next to begin because you want to keep listening and hear what else The Dodos have in store for you.

No Color is The Dodos’ third album with Frenchkiss records and can be found in stores and on iTunes now.

All of the songs mentioned in this article can be heard on KWTS 91.1, as well as on the KWTS website.