Dog in a Man Suit – ‘Trapped!’ [EP] [Album Review]

Alternative/post-punk band Dog in a Man Suit introduces their new EP, entitled Trapped!, a fuzzed-out ode to coming to terms with adulthood.

Made up of Billie Seeland (guitar, vocals), Anjali Nair (guitar, vocals, synths), Chris Seeland (bass), and Thomas Colgrove (drums), Man in a Dog Suit recorded the album while living together in the middle of lockdown, which provided them with time to refine their sound.

The premise underlying the EP is the discomfort and ambiguity 20-somethings confront as they hover on the brink of majority, finding themselves ensnared in a split identity. Sonically, the album sees the band evolving their sound, taking on a more synth-charged direction.

Comprising six tracks, Trapped! begins with “Weirdos,” a song about the fear of vulnerability and not being perceived for who you really are. The song opens on drooping, hazy guitars flowing into a dark-laced grungy melody, dripping with edgy, tension-filled tones. Nair’s vocals give the lyrics an imminent feeling of susceptibility.

“Sometimes I make believe / We’re in love / What would I do without you? / Sometimes I find out / I’m stronger than I let on too.”

Highlights on the EP include “Lines,” rolling out on dirty, pushing guitars riding a rambling, potent rhythm, vaguely reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne, with its galvanizing impetus. There’s an edgy, visceral aspect to the tune, at once grinding and assertive.

Dog in a Man Suit in 2022 by Chris Mansfield

Explaining “Lines,” Billie Seeland says,

“No matter what’s happening for me, I want the people I love to know that I love them. Maybe that comes with age?”

“Floodgates” conjures up suggestions of Soundgarden because of its grunge-filled energy blended with shadowy, alluring melodic elements, especially discernible in Nair’s haunting vocals. “A Feeling” features a murky rhythm guitar, while a snarling guitar injects searing accents, infusing the harmonics with dual layers of muddy sound. The heft of the tune comes from the rhythmic components, weighty percussion, and a fat, trolling bassline.

Raw and surging with delicious, ragged dynamics, Trapped! vibrates on the palpable muck of gritty guitars, evocative lyricism, and passionate vocals.

Trapped! Track Listing:

1. Weirdos
2. Last Chance
3. Lines
4. Floodgates
A Feeling
5. Can’t See It Changing

Run Time: 18:17
Release Date: May 13, 2022
Record Label: Self-Release