Dog Is Dead, a five-piece indie pop/nu folk band hailing from Nottingham, have been around for a few years now and have released various EPs. All Our Favourite Stories is the band’s first album, but includes already-successful singles Glockenspiel Song, Hands Down and Two Devils.
Bringing this album up in an already overpopulated genre (think Mumford & Sons, Noah and the Whale, and The Maccabees) is a big ask. Previous singles Hands Down and Glockenspiel Song have already found their feet and confidently stand up against the rest of the album with the latter, unsurprisingly, appearing on Skins last year. Upcoming single Talk Through The Night has that ‘big song’ feel and a chorus that begs to be chanted at festivals.
But the rest of the album doesn’t quite match up. Heal It starts off a bit drearily before picking up at the chorus. It is a storming track – reminiscent of The Maccabees but with a little less heart. Following this is River Jordan, which sticks to the formula typical of this genre, but pleases nonetheless.
The lyric writing on All Our Favourite Stories is strong and the themes expressed throughout will resonate with any 90s kid. Lead singer Rob Milton, speaking about the album, said: “It’s inspired by the highs, the lows, every drunken night, every nose bleed, the bliss of new love and the s*** that follows.”
As a whole, the album is a solid collection of tracks, with the continued upbeat bassline creating a pleasant summery feeling. But once you delve past the catchy, Stroke-esque riffs and the stuck-in-your-head-all-day harmonising, the album leaves a little to be desired.
When compared to their more experienced and arguably better contemporaries, All Our Favourite Stories could easily be forgotten.
Amelia Jones 
Hermione Marszalek