We have all been there.
Whether we admit it or not, we have all pondered what it would be like to be man’s best friend. A little dog in a big world. No work, no responsibilities, just a dog doing dog things.
And though this train of thought is common, not many people have taken it farther than just a thought. That is, not many people besides singer’s and songwriter Matt Mays.
Looking for a way to challenge himself when songwriting, Mays spent the beginning of this year’s quarantine lockdown writing music. But instead of basing his tracks off his own life experiences, the singer took things a step up, and wrote an entire album from the perspective of a rescue dog.
Officially dubbed “Dog City,” Mays released his album to fans via Bandcamp back in May, and just recently had the album uploaded to Spotify and other streaming platforms thanks to Sonic Records/Warner Music Canada.
But this begs the question, what does an album written from a dog’s perspective sound like?
According to Mays, a bit rock and roll, a bit blues-y, and a bit indie.
Opening on the track “Prelude & Dugue” which samples actual dog noises (barks, howls) to set up the general vibe of the album, the second and more groovy track “Dan n’ Shaniqua” introduces listener’s to the rescue dog’s voice as he describes his journey of escape to meet his potential new owners, Dan n’ Shaniqua.
In the following tracks listeners are taken on a journey into life as a dog with the title track “Dog City (A Doogie Boogie)” taking a classic and nostalgic rock approach on the thoughts the narrating dog has as he enters the promised land of dog city.
The album also features a few slower tracks, such as “Moondog Matinee,” “Ur Not Alone” and “New Tricks,” which touch on some of the sadder parts of dog life, such as moving around and searching for someone to love and care for them.
“Dog City” also features two solely instrumental tracks such as “Leggy Peggy,” “Bambina Clementina” and the 31 second “Number Canine” which just repeats the tracks title over and over, giving an insight into what the internal thoughts of a dog might be on any given day.
Closing on the percussion driven “I Wanna Be Your Dog” Mays ends the 13 track collection in a similar fashion to had it started- hoping for some new owners to love.
You can stream the full album “Dog City” now, wherever you stream music.
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