As longtime British YouTube fans, we’ve loved seeing how some classics have grown, with James Marriott and long-time collaborator WillNE having come together to create Rodd’s coffee. 

When James is not working on Rodd’s promo, he has a solid music career, even being featured on the Rock Sound Twenty One Pilots tribute album. The initial snippet has been met with mixed reviews, but we liked it and look forward to the full track. 

On Friday 13th of June, James Marriott dropped his much-anticipated album, Don’t Tell The Dog, and this is our review. 

Ventriloquist 

I’ve always been a fan of albums that open with long instrumentals, and Don’t Tell The Dog fits right in with my other favourites. Another thing I love about this album is the choral elements, the voices acting like an orchestra for Marriott and harmonising at the 2:24 mark is just another level of awe-inducing for me. 

Something’s Wrong

Incredible 10/10, no notes. This song has been promoted to hell, but it was worth it. Amazing song and music video to match.

Plasticine

Shout-out to the Australians for giving us an early warning of how good this song is. Local time zone midnight releases are great to see which songs to be excited for before you’ve even heard the album, and the Aussies were out in full force raving about the track as soon as they’d heard it for the first time, for a good reason.

For me, it’s the lyrics that make this track shine. Marriott perfectly encapsulates the feeling of not being quite right for someone but trying nonetheless. Using the metaphor of plasticine, he explores the malleability of life and trying to mould yourself and those you love to fit, like a child mixing playdough to make a colour and just not getting it right. It’s the kind of song that puts you in a little bit of an existential crisis when you think about it too much in my opinion.

It’s Only Love

It’s Only Love was another pre-album release that was rinsed on social media, and unfortunately, it’s my least favourite. It just didn’t click for me like some of the other songs did. It’s definitely nothing to do with the lyrics or composition of the song, just personal preference. Sorry James!

Food Poisoning

I am a big fan of synth and electronic sounds in music, and I was a big fan of both the vocal effects used in the song and the synthy keyboard in the first chorus. The baseline is also a massive draw to the song for me. It was a massive win for me when figuring out my song ranking.

I enjoyed the emotion in the bridge. Overall, the lyrics and the vocals on this track have skyrocketed it up in my rankings.

Toothache

Toothache was another one of the songs we got pre-release, and honestly, when it sits within the context of the album I really enjoy it. When it was a stand-alone single, I felt it lacked that little extra to really engage me, and I have that now.

I Don’t Want To Live Like This

When it comes to the pre-album tracks, this was my favourite. It felt like the most solid standalone track, only heightened with the context of the album. 

One thing about me is that I love a good bassline, which this song definitely has. This is a 10/10 song for me.

How Could I Say No?

This was such a good song, it shows a softer side to James’s vocal performance, and it’s a bit of a peek into his mind – well, I guess all these songs are.

One thing about this song that stood out to me was the ending. Personally, I am a sucker for a stripped back ending, where the insturmental falls off and you’re left with just the vocals. This song does it brilliantly.

Pillow Fight

I love how angsty this song is with its rock elements. I can imagine this song on the Twilight soundtrack. The closing 48 seconds cemented this idea in my head, as you get guitars and powerful drums carrying you to the end of the song.

It took a few listens to fully appreciate the beauty of the song, but here I am now and rocking out.

Why Don’t You Kill Me?

Like I’ve said, bassists have my heart, and the basslines through the whole album are amazing. Massive congratulations to James and whoever his bassist is (I don’t know your name, I’m so sorry).

Now, onto the song – one thing James has done incredibly well on this album, and more specifically, on this track, is the lyrics. His storytelling is on another level.

I’m a big fan of the single line bridge approach, it’s catchy but also hammers in the idea at the base of the song, he loves the subject of the song so much he’d rather die than be apart from them. 

(Part of me would love to see a counter of all the times death and dying are mentioned in this album, but I’m scared of how high it would be)

Limbs

Something about this track evokes in me the same feeling as listening to Hozier. The unfiltered yearning and beautiful laid-back instrumental that guides you through a journey of emotions is a bonus for this song.

The raw vibes of this song, in both backing track and emotive lyrics, make it a great closer for the album. It makes me feel like I’m walking in a well-catered garden full of statues of lovers being serenaded by James. 

If he were to ever record an orchestral version of a song, it would have to be this one.

So, how do I rank the songs in the album? Well, I ranked it twice, my initial listen at 1 am, followed by another ranking at 10 am, once I’d actually slept and got to sit with the songs a bit more.

1 am album ranking
1 I Don’t Want To Live Like This
2 Food Poisoning 
3 Something’s Wrong
4 Plasticine
5 Why Don’t You Kill Me
6 Ventriloquist
7 How Could I Say No?
8 Pillow Fight 
9 Limbs
10 Toothache 
11 It’s Only Love

10 am album ranking (after several more listens)
1 I Don’t Want To Live Like This
2 Food Poisoning 
3 Something’s Wrong
4 Why Don’t You Kill Me
5 Plasticine
6 Pillow Fight
7 Ventriloquist 
8 Limbs
9 How Could I Say No?
10 Toothache 
11 It’s Only Love

In conclusion, this album proves that I much prefer faster and more upbeat songs than slower ones, which I already knew. But surprisingly, some of the slower-paced songs gave me more to think about as a fan of James and music in general. 

Lyrically, we have to give James his tens. It was a phenomenal album. He provided loads of imagery and visuals that translated well throughout the album.

We are now happier than ever to hear these performed live, as we’ll be at the 11th of December show. Watch this space for the concert review. If you want to read any of our previous concert reviews, check out our barricade tab.

Listen to Don’t Tell The Dog here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2da40GDH3ygPRRoJc8n7WG?si=ZBreFonQQ5KvB3Yz1EUGPQ