Who Will Look After the Dogs?
PUP sound like they have had a very bad week. Fortunately, they have brought some good songs along. Their fifth album, Who Will Look After the Dogs?, is full of damaged relationships, self-doubt and the sort of thoughts you probably shouldn't send in a text message. Somehow, there are plenty of big choruses in there too.
No Hope gets straight to work. It's over in two minutes, with Stefan Babcock shouting through a rush of guitars that leaves very little room to breathe. Olive Garden is even shorter and makes a failed romance sound suitably awkward. These opening songs feel impatient, sometimes almost unfinished, but the jump into Concrete makes sense of the noise. The guitar melody gives it something to hold on to. That's a strong song, and a good reminder that this band can do much more than shout.
Then there's Get Dumber, featuring Jeff Rosenstock. You can probably guess whether these two parties will encourage each other to calm down. It's a great fit: scrappy, loud and catchy, with enough energy to justify the mess. Producer John Congleton keeps everything close and forceful, although the crowded sound occasionally makes the guitars work harder for your attention than they should.
Hallways is where the album really comes together. The bright guitar part is an effective match for some very unhappy thoughts, and the album title suddenly makes sense. Looking after a dog becomes a small, practical reason to keep going. It's a simple idea that says more than another grand statement about how terrible everything is.
Best Revenge also gives the record some much-needed air. There's still plenty of baggage, but the melody makes room for the possibility that things might improve. PUP are good at that uneasy space between feeling awful and wanting to do something about it. They don't make recovery sound easy or particularly tidy.
There are limits to how much of this mood works in one sitting. The slower closing song, Shut Up, is exposed and sad, but it also leaves the album feeling a little drained. A touch more variety would have helped. Still, at around 36 minutes, PUP keep the complaints reasonably brief. There are enough memorable songs here to make the company worthwhile. Just don't expect them to cheer you up in the usual way.
