Wakefield's Dugong started out by playing great melodic / pop punk as per their debut 1999 EP "...I'm Not Leaving". Two years on they released their first full-length, "The Eastmoor Rules", which took their sound on by leaps and bounds, and augmented it with emo, post hardcore, and indie. It's a wonderful, warm, and varied album, but we're not really here to talk about it, so fast forward a further two years, and lo and behold the band did it again; another giant's step up in their sound in the form of "Hat Danko".
"Hat Danko" is one of the most singularly focused records I've ever heard; every element seems to have a purpose, and the sense of intent is present throughout. Simply put, it was the band's masterpiece.
Opener "Honest Industry" is as catchy as it is melodically abrasive, and gets the album off to a fine start, before "Tonight This is Perfect" kicks in; it's probably the most immediately accessible track on the record - a gorgeous, impassioned, punk rock love song.
"Vital Loop" seems more restrained to begin with, but then also features what are probably the most ferocious vocals of any Dugong song, whilst "Human Fade" and "And Now We Are Men" both build wonderfully to stellar climaxes, and push singer Matthew Broadbent's range in a more traditional sense.
"The More Rivers You Cross The More You Know About Rivers" starts as a relaxed ode to country-rock, before getting progressively more frantic, and is followed by "The Legs that Carried Him", which takes things down a notch with a less-hectic quiet/loud jangly/rock number that shows off all of Broadbent's different vocal styles, and might well be my favourite song on the album.
The almost-instrumental "Snakes! Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?" is pure post-rock and sets up the album nicely for the final two tracks; the smooth anthemic "They Never Saw The Magic" and intimate closer "Return to Form", which curiously saw all the band members switch instruments.
Dugong would go on to release one more record - 2005's "Quick to the City" mini-album (the title track of which was covered by Swedish label-mates Kelly 8, I was there when they debuted that live, it was a complete surprise for those involved with the band and their label and a great moment to witness as a fan) before calling it a day.
In 2013, to mark the tenth anniversary of the album and the fifteenth of the label, Bombed Out Records re-released "Hat Danko" on limited heavy white vinyl with new artwork (from original artist Paul Heys) in a gatefold sleeve, and Dugong reformed to play a single show to mark the occasion.
The vinyl is a lovely package (and sounds fantastic) and is still available, should you fancy it. In the meantime, if you haven't heard this classic yet, here you go...
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 / 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:
𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝘆𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:
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