album of the week: Melee - Dogleg
words: aaron eisenreich
Some great records take hold of you immediately, grabbing your attention like a slap in the face. Some take time and call for multiple listens before you can really figure out what makes them special. Melee, the debut full-length from the Michigan-based post-punk (soon to be) icons Dogleg, falls into both of these categories. It’s an instantly fantastic record that had me simply staring, slack-jawed in awe the first time I heard it. But it also gets better and better with each listen, as you break through the incessant, frenzied attack that defines Dogleg’s sound and familiarize yourself with the many moments ripe for screaming along.
Melee kicks off with “Kawasaki Backflip” and “Bueno;” two energetic songs that set the frantic pace while also being full of catchy melodies and soaring guitars, backed by a relentless rhythm section. There are moments here—and all over the record—where the entire band lines up behind the melody of vocalist/guitarist Alex Stoitsiadis that create quick, ferocious pauses in the action before you’re thrown back into the fray. The songs also feature instances where the rhythm section does so much with fills that last one or two beats, but ultimately push the songs forward with a driving intensity.
“Prom Hell” almost seems like a slow burner after “Bueno,” as the group takes their time (relatively) to build to the final impassioned repetition of “was I good enough?” It’s followed by “Fox,” an absolute barn burner featuring some undeniably terrific bass lines from Chase Macinksi. The first half of the record rounds out with “Headfirst,” a huge song with layers of guitars over the repeated howls of “time will let you down.”
Picking a standout or favorite track on the record is near impossible, as Melee is truly all killer no filler, but you could make a pretty good case for the one-two punch of “Hotlines” and “Wartortle” that kicks off the second half of the album. “Hotlines” goes hard as shit out of the gates and never lets up, even as the band pulls back briefly to make room for a pounding bass line. “Wartortle” begins with just Stoitsiadis on vocals and a pair of guitars that weave deceptively complex lines under the catchy melody. Later in the song, the band drops out again for one of the most intense moments on an already intense record.
“Wrist” starts with a quick drum hit before the band is back at their tenacious pace, and it could also make a strong case for “best” song on the album. “Cannonball” begins with an overwhelming and somewhat unsettling feeling that is almost stressful until the band pulls back, letting bass and acoustic guitar take over for a moment. It’s a ferocious song, building to a repeated riff that gets lodged in your head before the lyrics “how’s it like feelin’ dead” are added over and over.
On an album of huge songs, “Ender” is probably the most massive of them all. It’s heart-wrenching and brutal, while also readymade to shout along to. The song takes you on a journey, culminating into a final cathartic onslaught that eventually gives way to a beautiful string arrangement of the song’s final melody. It’s a stunning and sobering way to end the album that adds a moment of contemplation and reflection, like someone surveying the wreckage after a hurricane.