Time To Die

We Say...

Review by Caitlin Dewey

Only a year has passed since the Dodos put out their second release, but the trio has aged — and audibly — since 2008's Visiter. Gone is the youthful exuberance of "Walking" and "Fools"; gone, too, are the taut African drum lines that earned the Dodos comparisons to Vampire Weekend, and the urgent acoustic jangle that drove them to critical acclaim. The Dodos have mellowed on this one — they're wiser and more reserved. And as the title Time to Die might suggest, they're a little world-weary, as well.

World-weary or not, of course, no one would dare accuse the Dodos of being dark. Their sunny, uncluttered brand of acoustic folk-pop forbids the characterization, even when they're decrying the evils of corporate America ("This is a Business") or foretelling mass murders ("The Strums").

But even though they maintain all of their old instrumental sunniness, the Dodos are certainly more conservative on Time to Die, favoring the smooth, conventional indie-pop acoustics of bands like Bowerbirds or Department of Eagles over the breakneck jangle-folk that originally made their name. Meric Long's propulsive African-style drumming is conspicuously absent on most tracks, appearing only briefly in "This Is a Business." Meanwhile, the Dodos and new producer Phil Ek have added a film of vibraphone, brass and toy piano to their bare-bones, drums-and-acoustic aesthetic, a change that indicates exactly how much and in which ways the Dodos have matured. There's a new wisdom to their combination of sustained, loping vocals and finger-picked guitar; there's an added density to tracks like "Longform," "The Strums" and "Fables," with their buoyant vibraphone undertones and mournful, nostalgia-flecked lyrics.

It's admittedly surprising to see such maturity from the high-spirited act that brought us "Fools" only last year. But if the Dodos had to age, at least they did it well — Time to Die is thoughtful, charismatic folk-pop at its most polished.