Fat Dog – WOOF

Fat Dog burst onto the scene with their debut single only eight months before now, and their journey so far has been nothing short of a whirlwind. They already have a solid reputation as a formidable live act, having played at all the big UK festivals this year, spreading their jazzy brand of twisted trance rock far and wide. 

WOOF is an experimental but short adventure, opening with the epically delivered Vigilante, as singer Joe Love immediately screeches “It’s fucking fat dog baby” before launching into a deliciously grandiose monologue. Just before the song breaks in he sings “We are all just dogs gnashing our teeth at the moon”, which perfectly sums up the band’s underlying ferocity. 

Love is not a fan of what he calls “sanitised” music, and WOOF is a clear antidote to the kind of squeaky clean conforming music that litters the soundwaves between the interesting and the experimental. “Music is so vanilla,” Love says. “I don’t like sanitised music. Even this album is sanitised compared to what’s in my head. I thought it would sound more fucked up.”

The fourth track Clowns is a welcome breath of serenity amongst the chaos – even slightly euphoric, while Wither and King of the Slugs will remind fans what a joy it is to watch Fat Dog in a muddy field while the sun is shining.

In truth, this album feels more like an add-on to Fat Dog’s live shows, which are the main event when it comes to this band. This is the kind of music you want to hear blasting through the air as you swig on a warm cider while squashed between unfamiliar sweaty arms and faces, debating whether to take the plunge and crowd surf. It almost feels wasted when listening to it any other way.

The newest single Running is especially punchy, with its jazz-rock chorus surging with wild energy. Afterwards, the record closes the same way it began, with a monologue from Love, ending sinisterly with the words “You can kill the man but you cannot kill the dog”.

WOOF is a mad ride full of hedonism and impulsive energy, providing a fun alternative to all the uninspired music out there. There’s something about this band that feels very timely, as if we’ve all been waiting for an excuse to release our inner fat dog and howl at the moon and cause chaos. It’s an energy that’s clearly already resonating on the live circuit and threatens only to get bigger and better.

Hannah Broughton
Image: Frank Fieber

WOOF is released on 6^th September 2024. For further information or to order the album visit Fat Dog’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Running here: