Album Review // Machine Elvis // Dog Gods

5/5 stars

The sophomore solo album from local multi-instrumentalist Brent Knight (under the moniker Machine Elvis) highlights his skill as a musician who blends prog, folk, psychedelia, and indie dream pop into his own unique sound. Knight is also known for his work with Optimistic Apocalypse, Re$inate, and This American Song, but Machine Elvis doesn't sound like any of his other projects. The follow-up to 2017's Darkness of Death, Dog Gods moves his sound from a primarily softer and airy style into a fuller and broader soundscape. Only accompanied by his partner Mackenzie Sprague (Optimistic Apocalypse) on harmonized vocals, Dog Gods highlights Knight's diverse playing ability. The album starts out with the Beck-esque song "Ordinary Fire" and takes you on a journey through genres like the laid back jam "Carnival of the Sun," the prog opus of "Moment of Sade," synth-rock "Ash and Black," and the album closer "Reburn," which would feel at home on any '80s Pink Floyd release. The lyrics are both catchy and meaningful — touching on life, nature, and how they are intertwined in all of us. It's not often that an album can lift you up while also letting you rock out, however Dog Gods manages to be one of those rare gifts.