Dogs in a Pile - DISTROID (2025) Hi-Res

This mesmerizing quintet is one of those musical amalgamations that eschew definition. Yes, Dogs in a Pile have strong shades of jazz-funk, but not to the extinct you want to run from the room. Instead, they are well-acclimated to playing songs that slip and slide and sometimes scream and shout without ever becoming annoying. Instead, these Dogs sound close to perfection while not getting too close. There is still a mystery in them, and even when their roots in New Jersey become proudly obvious there is always hints of overt funk and even backyard picking to keep things heated up. Vocalist-keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan is never far from a sense of mystery in his swinging applications, which is a very good thing. And guitarist-vocalist Brian Murray fits in just right while making sure nothing ever becomes too thin. In truth, Dogs in a Pile has carved out a real sound of their own, obviously American, but never too easy to tag. This is a band that throws open the door so the Dogs get to run just wild enough. With drummer Joey Babick, vocalist-guitarist Jonny Law and vocalist-bassist Sam Lucid all jumping on the sonic hill, this is a priceless shot at another Asbury Park aggregation flying from the Jersey Shore in a totally original way that is catching on and being heard nationwide. And, wonderfully, their ballads make sure a supreme sense of singularity is there for the feeling. All their own.