The Format – Dog Problems

I had never heard of The Format until their five song EP, Snails, ended up in my mailbox. To put it bluntly, I was blown away my simplistic indie-pop goodness throughout the album. Particularly on songs like the acoustic versions of Tune Out and On Your Front Porch. But that was almost two years ago, and the band has been relatively quiet since then.That silence won’t last for long though as they are set to release Dog Problems, their new album which will instantly take over the indie scene.

Dog Problems isn’t an instant classic, it takes a few listens to truly appreciate it; but once you do, you won’t stop listening to it for it is much more than just a simple, generic indie pop album. The more you listen to it, you start to hear the music geniuses within Sam Means and Nate Ruess, the two people responsible for The Format. They take rather simplistic melodies, but intertwined them so seamlessly that they become instantly addictive. But it is Ruess’ vocals that really put the nail in the coffin here, and for once, that analogy is being used in a positive aspect.

Ruess’ vocals are the perfect compliment for the soaring musical melodies, add in Means’ backup vocals at key point and you have some instant classics here on Dog Problems. The chorus in Time Bomb is the chorus every pop band dreams for as it gets stuck in your head from the first time you hear, but that’s not the only song that does it either. Almost every single track on here has an explosively catchy chorus that you can’t seem to shake. And luckily, unlike most of the pop bands overflowing on mainstream TV and radio, Ruess is a lyrical genius with hidden stories clothed behind metaphors and similes.Snails takes the animal as a metaphor for making the most of the time we have with our loved ones. Dog Problems tells of a broken relationship while in contrast, Inches And Falling has Ruess professing his admiration for love (“I love love, I love being in love, I don’t care what it does to me“). The first single, The Compromise talks about the horrors of record companies (“I’m one step closer to where I want to be, Away from this scene, away from this machine“) and She Doesn’t Get It examines the ups and downs of a one night stand. Just read the lyrics and you’ll know what I mean.

This album is pure music gold. It does so much more than just getting you to tap you feet and clap your hands, it gets you to think and examine it all, and soon you start to understand the power behind Means and Reuss’ creation, The Format. Any indie pop fan will love this.