Over the past few months, I have started to grow increasingly tired of the incessant need that bands have to turn every song into a “groundbreaking” symphony by including whole orchestras or enormous string sections. Fortunately, there still appear to be some bands that are able to produce decent music without hiring half the violin players in their area. The new single ‘Fables,’ from the album "Time to Die" by The Dodos delivers a high level of satisfaction with the use of just a guitar, drum set, tambourine and vibraphone.

The majority of the track consists of enthusiastic rhythmical guitar strumming locked in with a steady, but extremely cheery drumbeat. The Dodos have managed to accent the song in all the right places using the subtle but rounded sound of the vibraphone. The guitar and drums independently are enough to catch your attention and get you bopping, but it is the vibraphone that adds the extra dimension needed to fill out the song and smoothen out any rough edges. The rhythm guitar is eventually interrupted with a simple sounding but rather sunny guitar solo. This leads us through to the end of the song without the use of vocals, and quite rightly so, as instrumentally it can stand its ground beautifully.

Meric Long’s vocals may not be of the impressive kind on this track but they work well with the simple atmosphere of the song, complementing and accompanying the rhythmical patterns of the whilst at the same time enforcing a memorable melody. As the title suggests, the lyrics seem to be about a crime that has been committed and must be repented or learnt from through some form of punishment. It is unclear to me at times how the lyrics relate to the melody and beat. The only explanation I can think of (and I have considered it from several angles) is that the melody and beats are indicative of the absolution one feels once they have confessed or repented a certain crime. This slight hiccup does not detract from the overall song at all, unless you’re the type of person that feels the need to analyse every note and word.

The Dodos have proven that a song with a minimal number of instruments and simple vocals can be just as gratifying as any other symphonic rock song. It is refreshing to see young musicians today who do not feel the need to actively try and impress their fans with the use of fancy instruments and arrangements, a trend that seems to be on the rise in the current musical climate.