Indie pop with baroque flourishes, a dry wit, and a heart of gold…
25 · 04 · 2025
Some albums take years to make. The Stone Roses famously took their sweet time over ‘The Second Coming’, while Guns N’ Roses made fans wait for over a decade before finally delivering ‘Chinese Democracy’. Tugboat Captain? They made ‘Dog Tale’ in a week, mate – done and dusted in seven days, it’s a refreshing testament to creative brevity.
Recorded at South London studio Ctrl P – run by Sox and Josh from the band – there’s a pervading comfort to the material on ‘Dog Tale’. As time has gone on, Tugboat Captain have added baroque flourishes to their songwriting, and while the arrangements here testify to that, they equally refuse to be smothered by ad hoc additions.
As a result, it’s a beaming grin of a record, a witty series of quips, diversions, and nailed-on assertions about modern life. The title track refers to cocktails at the band’s local – the Cavendish Arms – but it doesn’t feel parochial, its homespun charms serving notice of indie pop defiance.
‘Rats In The Basement’ details the tribulations of renting in London, a warts ‘n’ all takedown of sh*tty landlords. ‘Parkbenches’ has a photo-journalistic aspect to it, while ‘Cheeks’ is refreshingly tongue-in-cheek.
The ever-evolving sextet allow space for the songs to grow – if there’s a true through-line at work in ‘Dog Tale’, it’s to expect the unexpected. A rich 14-track serving of off piste indie pop, it’s an album of curious individuality.
7/10
Words: Robin Murray
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