Seth Smith and Nancy Urich are quite the couple. Under the moniker Dog Day, the Halifax, NS duo produce dark, offbeat music suitable for a rainy day. Deformer, the band’s third LP, is an amalgam of indie pop, shoegaze and surf done extremely well.
“Daydream” and “Part Girl” begin the 36-minute romp with a dreamy soundscape, as Smith’s nonchalant vocals are backed by fuzz-laden guitars and pepped-up, lo-fi drums beats. “I Wanna Mix” showcases Dog Day’s slower side, with defined guitar, floor tom rhythms and Urich’s childlike singing style.
What Dog Day truly excels at is discordant harmonies, accomplished through the combination of poor recording techniques and melodious vocal duets. “Positive” and “Mr. Freeze” are the album’s biggest surprises, though. Driven by ominous acoustic tones, these tracks bring a surge of diversity to the typically fast-paced nature of the band.
Sullen and dark, this lo-fi record is fantastically promising. As a duo, Dog Day manages to spew out a collection of tracks that would even make quartets think twice about their musical prowess.