Neighbor Dog "Ozzy" Review
Review by: Cameron Christopherson, Writer @Cameron_Christopherson
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Twin Cities Alt Rock trio Neighbor Dog, composed of Nic Gauer on guitar and vocals, Hunter Slack on bass, and Troy Asseln on drums made their debut in 2023 with the excellent Dante single release. Featuring math-inspired riffs, airy vocals, and catchy breakdowns reminiscent of Oolong and Equipment, Dante showed incredible promise. Nearly a year later, the group released their debut EP, Ozzy, four tracks which build on their first release in every way.
Despite the band's maestro-like construction of bouncy, catchy, and infectiously danceable songs, Ozzy was never going to be a cheerful project. Haunting the entirety of the EPs 13-minute run time is the wounding shame of failure. This looming darkness is most present on the opening track, “Nde.” Despite starting with a blazing guitar part, and pop-punk inspired drum shuffles, Gauer screeches out a cry for help, “reaching for outside help, I can’t do this all myself, I’m losing it.” Neighbor Dog leaves no barrier between audience and meaning, their lyrics are throw-it-in-your-face style blunt. Refrains often play with self hatred in passive suicidality, “Moon Bear,” which deals with feeling like a failure in your career, bemoans that it “always feels like something missing in the end,” and instantly implies the author himself is at fault, “Is it me? am I giving enough to make all of it worth, to make all of it feel safe, am I giving enough to not lose it one day?”
Running underneath the themes of the project is the underlying idea that the discontent with music, on “Nde,” the anxieties about a career, on “Moon Bear,” or the more specific personal failings on the latter half of the EP. On “Darts,” a song about the inability to quit smoking, the second verse reaches from a simple problem with nicotine, towards broader reflections on shame and personal foibles, “it haunts me, it won’t leave me alone, shave my head and burn my clothes, stay in bed till I feel normal.” The honesty and self loathing on display throughout the EP is refreshing and relatable, but what is the answer to this endlessly extending wound? Neighbor Dog seems to answer this question on the vitriolic final track, “Shutupshutupshutup,” a swirling breakdown gives way into a final statement, turning the interior hatred into an exterior outburst, a plea to be recognized in the midst of personal failings and struggles, “I’m trying to think, do you fucking care?”
As a debut EP, Ozzy is incredibly focused. No track feels underdeveloped and the sonic styling is consistent throughout. There is no fluff, and, although project layout rarely gets spoken about on EPs, it seems a conscious structure was chosen for the track list. This laser-focused approach results in one of my favorite elements of Neighbor Dog’s music: the instrumental pieces that speckle their tracks. While there is no lack of catchy vocal melodies on this EP, nearly every track features an instrumental section that, for me, takes center stage. The crushing halftime breakdown on “Nde” is especially enjoyable. Gauer’s dynamic and delightfully sporadic playing is complemented perfectly by Slack's consistent bass work.
When I asked Neighbor Dog about their influences on this effort, they enthusiastically praised a number of Twin Cities staples, from The Briefly Gorgeous, Fend, Unturned, to Prize Horse, and Heart to Gold. In particular, the band cited Pierre as a heavy influence, “Neighbor Dog wouldn’t be Neighbor Dog without Pierre. They are the most influential Twin Cities band in modern history and have never gotten enough credit.”
Neighbor Dog is not a one man show. The band's process is typically spurred from the consumption of a few Hamm’s in Troy Asseln’s basement, where Gauer introduces a few riffs, and songs quickly develop around them. The group’s cooperative writing style is best displayed on the chorus of “Shutupshutupshutup,” where Asselns drum groove takes the driver's seat. A chaotic and cymbal filled beat gives way to a series of piercing hi-hat barks that brings us back to square one.
Ozzy asks the listener to sit with failure, four songs of self hatred and detailed descriptions of mistakes and shortcomings. While the incredibly catchy riffage, constantly changing rhythms, and wonderfully distorted vocal performances make for an incredibly fun listen, it’s hard to ignore the lyrical content on this project. Despite the fear of failure in music detailed on “Nde” Neighbor Dog is not slowing down, and is slated to release more new music this coming spring.
