If it wasn’t evident from the title or cover art, New York-based producer and songwriter Richie Quake has a thing for dog motifs. His sophomore album, aptly titled Dog, dropped earlier this month (November 15) courtesy of Mass Appeal, with its opening title track kicking things off with some ambient barking.
The 29 minutes that follow, of course, are hardly an amalgamation of animal-themed gimmicks. In fact, the aforementioned “Dog” almost immediately gets deeply introspective, using the dog analogy to explore interpersonal relationships as Quake sings “But hey I’m a dog after all / And you’re my favorite toy” over a sparse acoustic instrumentation.
The acoustic energy flows directly into “Tree,” another quiet moment with natural swells of energy that show off Quake’s skill as a producer. The album is far from one-note; vocal distortion, pretty synths, intricate layering, and fuller traditional “pop band” sounds appear across the album, such as in the album standout “Baby Ocean Girl.”
“Birthday Party,” released previously as a single earlier this year, got the music video treatment yesterday (November 27) to accompany the album’s premiere. In the clip, a fearsome group of arm wrestlers menacingly stare down the camera in a baby pink room where they gather around a comically small table decorated with party paraphernalia. As the camera pulls back, Quake is revealed, sitting stoically with his birthday cake. It’s a thematically apt visual for a track and album full of twists on old themes.
Fire up Dog below via Spotify, and chew on the “Birthday Party” video after the jump.
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