Following 2015's
Individ,
the Dodos took some open-ended time off before deciding to reconvene for their seventh LP. In the interim, drummer Logan Kroeber returned to his day job and guitarist Meric Long lost his father, saw the birth of his first child, and ended up making a solo album under the moniker
FAN. The latter was inspired by spending time with synthesizers he inherited from his father. After those experiences, Long brought along with him a conscious effort to free the band of expectations. Arriving in 2018, the resulting
Certainty Waves is still recognizable as
the Dodos but updates their sound, most notably by way of Long's continued experimentation with synths and electronics. Rather than getting more synth-poppy, they extend boundaries in terms of textured noise, something they did on 2008's
Visiter but not as aggressively. In fact, the duo completely ditches the indie folk label here, embracing harsher and more distorted sounds while retaining its trademark rhythmic and melodic qualities. These developments are especially pronounced on tracks like the clattering "IF" and electronic-acoustic closer, "Dial Tone," with its siren-like wails and jumble of rhythms, timbres, and time signatures. All the while, Long's wistful, elongated vocal melodies remain intact, providing an even more marked contrast to all the activity down below. There are still segments of acoustic guitar and drums, or acoustic guitar and subtle electronics, as on "Center Of," but they don't stick around too long, and, in context, they seem more metallic than "pastoral." As a result, lyrics like the closer's "No more listening today" and "No one left here today" may apply to some returning fans, but the invigorated approach to production, arrangements, and, in many cases, performances makes for a still highly listenable set that's at least as likely to excite as to challenge. ~ Marcy Donelson