Album Reviews

For Wolves and Wishes, Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh enlists the help of a slew of collaborators new and old, such as (most notably) indie folk hero Bonnie "Prince" Billy, fellow Minnesotans and label-mates Fog and touring buddy Andrew Bird, with whom he co-wrote songs for 2007’s stellar Armchair Apocrypha. The result is a captivating and beautifully textured album, which deftly walks the line between multilayered, looped and fractured compositions and melodic, electric-based pop.

Although Dosh is certainly more composer than de facto songwriter, here the songs themselves have more individual life than ever, due in part both to the singular talent and breadth of Dosh as a musician, as well as the realizations of the contributed material; just about every song is strengthened by addition in some integral way, though the natural flow and consistency of the album remain unthreatened despite his willingness to share the studio. Consequently, Wolves mixes minimalism and space with bouts of claustrophobic musical activity as successfully as any of his contemporaries, mainly DNTEL, The Books.

As usual, most of the material is instrumental, such as opener "Don't Wait for the Needle to Drop," which showcases the album’s multi-textured feel: Andrew Bird's violin glides over a jazzy percussion backdrop, set beneath a snappy Tortoise-esque rolling bubble of light electronics. Follower “Bury the Ghost” introduces a low level droning effect and Will Oldham’s in-and-out howling vocals. And the nine-minute "First Impossible" builds slowly into a subdued shuffle before the lightly frantic "Wolves," marking the album's epicenter. But it is closer "Capture the Flag" that really showcases Dosh's ability to set a hypnotic, percussive fire, as it blends horns, keys, and strings together in a swirl of repetitious melody and rhythm. Wolves and Wishes is the perfect next step for Dosh, and it should please both fans and newcomers alike looking for something new that yet feels inviting and familiar.

—Bill Morris
05.20.08