Review: You, Me, And Everyone We Know - Dogged EP

It’s been almost two years since we’ve heard a release from You, Me, And Everyone We Know, and within that time, we’ve seen vocalist Ben Liebsch take his life back into his own hands and deal with his issues surrounding addiction and depression. Well, he’s come back swinging in 2015 with the release of Dogged, a six-song EP showcasing a side to YMAEWK listeners haven’t seen before.
Dogged kicks off with the short and loud “Raise Them Bones”, allowing listeners to take in what the rest of the EP is sure to offer. It’s followed by my personal favourite, “Does It Amaze Thee?”, a track that showcases the EP’s best. Featuring a catchiness that masks lyrical content like “I’m chewing off the skin from my fingernails, hoping some half-studded drug is going to tip the scales” and “I’d take a tub full of bleach over a life with this”, it’s a musical representation of Liebsch’s experiences and is by far the most real we’ve seen him.
The realness shown on “Does It Amaze Thee?” is one that appears throughout Dogged and is an aspect that comes to define the release. The lyrical content seen throughout the six tracks is pretty heavy, featuring lines like “As I recall, life’s not quite been a ball” seen in “I’d Rather Be Sleeping” and “If I sit still enough maybe the bugs will come each me. Skip the burial process and all the drugs they’d feed me” in “Brooks Was Here”. This lyrical depth is one not previous seen in earlier YMAEK release and allows listeners a peek into Liebsch’s life over the past three to four years.
Musically, the sound on Dogged is raw - genuinely, there’s no other way to describe it. Gone are the polished guitars and vocals seen on So Young, So Insane and Party for the Grown and Sexy. This EP is organic and pure, a sound that’s especially present on the acoustic closer, “A Pleasant Bummer”.
Overall, this EP is one of the best comebacks I’ve heard in awhile. You, Me, And Everyone We Know is back and better than ever, with songs that are easily the best Liebsch have ever written. Musically, there’s a cohesiveness that allows each track to come together while keeping their individuality, and it’s overall a release that can be compared to none. Dogged was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015 and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
Download: Does It Amaze Thee?
4.5/5
