Today is the day! Considering that The Dogmatics are one of my favorite bands of all-time, you can imagine that I was really looking forward to the group's first full-length album in 39 years. I can assure you that a lot of other people were too, and I'm confident that no one will be let down by the long-awaited Nowheresville. Out today on Rum Bar Records, this is exactly the kind of album I was hoping for. It sounds distinctively like The Dogmatics while still allowing for the kind of maturity and growth you'd expect from a band after four decades. Some of these songs sound like they could have been written back in the '80s (at least two of them actually were!). Others come off as very much belonging to the garage rock scene of today. And others sound unprecedented in the band's catalog. What results is an album that can stand on its own merits. You don't need to be a fan of The Dogmatics' beloved '80s output (or to have even heard it) to appreciate what a great album Nowheresville is.
When The Dogmatics reunited in earnest prior to the pandemic, they never settled for writing new songs just to have something to play live. They were inspired not just by performing, but in creating something new — something that would reflect who and where they were in the 21st century. They'd still play the old favorites, but they were going to write new ones as well. Phoning it in was not an option. And that accounts for one of the most impressive second acts in rock 'n' roll history. Ask any fan at a Dogmatics show if they look forward to hearing the likes of "She's the One," "I Love Rock and Roll," and "Drop That Needle," and you'll get a "Hell yeah!". And now Nowheresville is the work of a band that's still showing all the young whippersnappers in the garage/punk scene how it ought to be done. It's a celebration of the spirit of family that exists literally within the band itself and also within the Boston garage rock scene. The album title is a tribute to Paul O'Halloran, referencing a song he was working on just before his passing. The cover art is a vintage photo taken by Mary Lou O'Halloran. The record features guest appearances by Tom Baker, the Nervous Eaters' Billy Loosigian, and John "J.G." Goetchius of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The song "You've Got What I Want" was written by a 20-year-old Jerry Lehane in 1981 in the aftermath of seeing The Outlets play a live show. The closing track "Ball Me Out" is a cover of a DMZ classic. And of course the album is out on a record label that has gifted the entire world with the chance to hear so much of this great music that Boston is known for. Had The Dogmatics turned out a passable but ultimately uninspired comeback effort, we would have been grateful just for that. But for the band to release an album in 2025 that can genuinely rival its predecessors Thayer St. (1984) and Everybody Does It (1986) is truly something to shout about.
Right off the bat with "Key of B," Nowheresville makes it clear that you're listening to a more accomplished version of The Dogmatics. The song is a garage rocker, sure enough, but it shows off the band's highly refined musical and songwriting chops. It comes off like a love letter to music, and who among us can't relate to that? Elsewhere, the jaunty "Con Job" (featuring James Young on lead vocal singing lyrics penned by his late father) combines Irish pub rock with bluegrass and sounds like nothing you would have expected from The Dogmatics in the '80s. "Rainy Nights," a jangly tale of heartbreak and regret, was first written in 1986 and has surely become something far different in the hands of these older, wiser Dogmatics (imagine "Margaritaville" if The Byrds had written it). The snappy "Nothing To Be Learned" is thoughtful power pop that has the spirit of The Replacements. Those hoping for some throwbacks to the band's heyday will love "No Likes No Comments," which combines a raw folky/country style with wickedly humorous commentary on life in the age of social media. The song is definitely in the tradition of the band's classics "Hardcore Rules" and "Teenage Lament." Recent singles "Library Girl" and "With a Scarlet Letter" sound like vintage Dogmatics but still have a very contemporary appeal. And that cover of "Ball Me Out" is an absolute ripper!
Nowheresville is everything you could want from a Dogmatics album. At just ten tracks and with only two songs longer than three minutes, it doesn't mess around. The songs are rockin' and fun to sing along with but also quite profound in what they have to say. The band isn't afraid to offer some nods to its early days, but it's not stuck in the past. It's no easy feat to make a record that successfully bridges the past, present, and future, but Nowheresville pulls off that very trick. Even as the album celebrates the legacy of Boston garage rock, it reminds us that that legacy is still being built today by a whole lot of great bands who continue to release exciting, inspired music. There's something very momentous about a band releasing its first album in 39 years, but what I appreciate about The Dogmatics is that they didn't overthink it. They just went out and made a terrific garage rock 'n' roll record that reflects who they are as a band today. I can honestly say that if you've never heard The Dogmatics before, this is a perfectly good place to start. And if you're a fan, I don't doubt for a second that you're going to love this album and play the heck out of it for a very long time to come!
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