Review: The Dodos - Time to Die (* * *)

I don’t believe there’s any expressed standard in the music industry regarding the proper amount of time between albums, but in practice, somewhere between two and three years seems the average. Certainly there are many exceptions as bands often put four or more years between releases, sometimes taking an entire decade between LPs (which is obviously more than frustrating for fans and rarely intended by the artists). Examples of groups that pull the average the other direction are less frequent though not entirely uncommon, but in my experience that can be a risky proposition as it seems to be difficult for most bands to produce their best material with less time. The point is, whenever I hear news like I did several months ago about The Dodos quick release of their new album (just over a year after their last, 2008’s excellent Visiter), I get both excited and a little apprehensive. (Continue Reading...)