Fat Dog fight insipid with insipid on ‘Go Fuck Urself’
After a self-described “period of calm”, London-based hell-raisers Fat Dog have returned to the scene with the obscenely titled ‘Go Fuck Urself’. Don’t let the expletive mislead you: the single contains none of the bite, grit, or fight you might’ve come to expect from a band that seems to be swiftly running out of ideas.
It’s not all bad: The single starts with a synth-pop shimmer that might’ve felt at home on a Kylie Minogue record before vocalist Joe Love begins his tirade against our braindead cultural moment, which thrives upon attention and baseless extremism and bigotry for the damn sake of it.
The irksome bridge sees Love change tact, attempting to reach outwards at the haters: “Lost, south, east, west, tell me where you’re at. You’re down in the sewers, playing with the rats,” He’ll repeat, again and again, throughout the short track. By leaning away from pub rock, they’ve leaned away from their strengths as a unit.
Despite recently expanding to a seven-piece band, the song feels sparse. It’s a defiant swipe at a them-versus-us anthem, whipped up with an air of nonchalance that hinders the central conceit. As it slogs on with lackluster fanfare, it’s hard not to ask: Do they even care? Do we?
But wait, I hear you say, Fat Dog are known for their raucous live sets, let’s not judge them too fast! Let me put it this way, then: ‘Go Fuck Urself’ feels like a song from the middle of the set, when the pre-show anticipation and first ensuing rivulets of awe have faded away, and there’s too much time left to build up towards a grand finale. Momentum is down, and the crowd can do nothing but hope for a recognisable, repeatable melody to nod absent-mindedly to.
It might be catchy, but the melody, which proceeds down a minor scale, rather than up it, proves to be as flattening as the sentiment on show. Somewhat rarely for the DIY industry, Fat Dog suggests on ‘Go Fuck Urself’ that their best music is behind them.
I’ll say it, because I have to: Fat Dog are back, but this time, they’re all bark, and no bite.
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