Dr. Dog: Live at a Flamingo Hotel

Despite a series of excellent studio albums, Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog have undoubtedly hooked their most loyal fans in the live setting. And the recordings captured on Live at a Flamingo Hotel, the band’s first full-length live album, superlatively exhibit the impassioned and tastefully oddball essence of the decade-old group and their concert approach. Many of the band’s songs have an alluring and warm quality, with the inherent and almost effortless ability to elevate a crowd of any size to full sing-along mode. (See: “Heart It Races” and “The Rabbit, & Bat & the Reindeer.”) Attentively tracked like a setlist is composed, the ebullient and upbeat “How Long Must I Wait” contrasts well with the sparse rendering of “The Truth” that follows, an arrangement marked by a subtly orchestral Motown intro featuring soothing, soul-blanketing vocals. There’s slow-burning, front-porch folk (“Too Weak to Ramble”), catchy and simplistic lounge fare (“Say Ahhh”) and the attention-commanding “Jackie Wants a Black Eye,” showing off an admirable range. Dr. Dog’s signature sound remains in Toby Leaman’s bouncy bass and imperfect, rugged vocals; Scott McMicken’s sugary singing style; and soaring, outstanding group harmonies. A Flamingo Hotel beautifully captures how all of these disparate yet essential elements build together to produce the quintessentially amiable Dr. Dog sound.