2021年発表のアルバム『Playground in a Lake』に続く作品。レディオヘッドのトム・ヨークがエグゼクティブ・プロデューサーを務めており、アルバムに収録される「Medicine」にもヴォーカルとベースを提供している。

リードシングルとして公開された「Town Crank」は、クラークにとって昨年11月に発表したFyfe and Iskra Stringsの"Deletia "のリミックスに続く。また、クラークの楽曲で初めてヴォーカルがフィーチャーされている。

発売・販売元 提供資料 （2023/03/09）

If any producer could incorporate his voice into his music innovatively, it would be Clark. Hes used the voices of others in his work to striking effect, most notably on 2021s haunting Playground in a Lake, and on Sus Dog, the addition of his vocals doesnt detract from his works complexity. Clark seizes the opportunity to express himself in a new way on his tenth album, and after hearing how he weaves his raspy, slightly wavering tenor into its tracks, its almost disappointing that he didnt make this move sooner. Wisely, he doesnt change his overall approach radically; instead of relying overly on familiar song structures, Sus Dog feels as exploratory as his instrumental work, albeit with an extra emotional dimension. The themes he muses on -- finding ones voice, looking for the truth -- are a perfect fit for his mind-opening approach on "Alyosha," which juxtaposes searching vocals and breaths shaped into beats with some of Clarks most fearsome synth arpeggios since Death Peak, and on "Town Crank," which comes the closest to the producers brief for the album ("what if the Beach Boys took MDMA and played a rave?") with its rippling tones, forceful beats, and lush harmonies. Though Clark adopts a slightly more straightforward approach on the introspective pop of "Dismissive" and the Bibio-like outpouring of melody on "Dolgoch Tape," Sus Dog also features moments that might even be more surprising than his instrumental work. Chief among them is "Bully," a winding journey from everyday despair to hope that uses the lowest and highest parts of Clarks vocal register to stunningly psychedelic effect, but throughout Sus Dog it feels like hes opened the doors to any and all artistic possibilities. On "Forest," he contrasts rattling ambient drones and strings with the rawness of field recordings with pure a cappella harmonies that sound like nothing hes ever done before. Some unmistakable voices help push him further out of his comfort zone: Thom Yorke, who also executive produced the album, appears on "Medicine," a suite-like piece that rivals Radiohead when it comes to brooding grandeur. Anika lends her smoky alto to the low-slung, skittering title track, which resembles a distant descendant of Body Riddles ghostly atmospheres and suggests a full-length collaboration would have a lot to offer. Tellingly, the albums pair of instrumentals ("Over Empty Streets" and "Wedding") are well-crafted, but they feel almost anticlimactic compared to the risks Clark takes elsewhere. After several years worth of darker and more obviously thematic work like Playground in a Lake, Kiri Variations, and Daniel Isnt Real, it makes sense that hed want to make something more eclectic and exploratory, and Sus Dogs exhilarating creativity is a testament to trusting the process. ~ Heather Phares

Rovi