Dog Bite: Velvet Changes

Car Park

Phil Jones honed his talents playing in the live incarnation of Ernest Greene’s Washed Out, without ever straying too far from his solo project, Dog Bite. Velvet Changes, Dog Bite’s debut album, finds Jones ditching the bright tones of his “day job” for distortion and reverb pedals, capturing a rewarding take on revivalist shoegaze. “Forever, Until” wastes no time outlining the project’s blurry nostalgia before quickly dissolving into “Supersoaker,” an equally upbeat-yet-drugged pop gem played with an effortless charm. Jangly rhythms, hushed vocals, and a hazy aesthetic recall My Bloody Valentine or 4AD’s progenitors as sheets of classic shoegaze howl blanket every note of guitar. Elsewhere, tracks like “My Mary” and “The Woods and the Fire” channel Jesus and Mary Chain-levels of monotonous, blown-out beauty. (4 out of 5 stars)