The stars seem to have aligned for Fate, the fifth album from Philadelphia outfit Dr. Dog. It’s a record the way they used to make ‘em, and you can listen to it in full right here on FasterLouder.

The five-piece is a hard one to pigeonhole; their bluesy rock – œn roll and homespun songwriting is cut through by a skewed pop sensibility. Fate will have you singing round the campfire in no time to dewy-eyed ditties like The Old Days, Army of Ancients and The Ark. “We realised pretty early on that the songs tied together,” says band member Toby Leaman in the album press notes. “We didn’t really know how – and I’m still not completely sure – but we know they do.”

Fate is being supported by a mammoth Dr. Dog tour, stretching from Brooklyn to Amsterdam until the end of the year. For now, though, we here in far-flung Australia will have to settle for the recorded version. Not a bad trade-off, mind you…

Listen to Fate using the player on the left of screen.

Tracklist

1 The Breeze
2 Hang On
3 The Old Days
4 Army of Ancients
5 The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer
6 The Ark
7 From
8 100 Years
9 Uncovering the Old
10 The Beach
11 My Friend