(Cover art by Jane Borstad)
There is an extremely potent tenderness in the music Callie Marino makes as Dad Bod. Nearly everything about the band's debut single "Rot" encourages quiet introspection or an overflow of emotion, whether it's Marino's poetry of emptiness, the twinkling guitar lines, or the depth of her voice. It's a secretly electrified fence, dividing you and an unwanted memory. Things pop up in the daily minutiae (checking the fridge, a grocery list on your phone) and serve as ever-present reminders.
The main thing that sets its trajectory slightly off from the Julien Baker-esque ballad it mostly is are the sudden stabs of shoegaze that come in the song's final moments. It never quite reaches the screaming catharsis of a song like "Appointments," but that's because it's not trying to. "Rot" instead lets the noise speak for itself. As Marino sings of hiding and fading away, the waves of squalling guitar speak of rebellion, of the seeds of discontentment.
The main thing that sets its trajectory slightly off from the Julien Baker-esque ballad it mostly is are the sudden stabs of shoegaze that come in the song's final moments. It never quite reaches the screaming catharsis of a song like "Appointments," but that's because it's not trying to. "Rot" instead lets the noise speak for itself. As Marino sings of hiding and fading away, the waves of squalling guitar speak of rebellion, of the seeds of discontentment.
It's bold for a band to put out their debut single so late in the year, but Dad Bod is just getting ahead of the curve on Minnesota winter malaise. "Rot" is a story of loss, sure to provide comfort to many listeners in the forthcoming months.
Dad Bod is Callie Marino (lyrics/vocals/guitar), Wilson Zellar (guitar/mixing/production), Noah Topliff (guitar), Michael McGough (bass), and Alex Gray (drums). "Rot" was engineered by Hollowed Out Sounds. Buy the song on Bandcamp below or listen on a streaming service of your choice.
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