EPTThe lead vocalist/guitar player Merrick Long sings slightly like Elliott Smith, but with a very different voice. His guitar playing is complicated, folky, rhythmic, and with some world music influences. It's essentially melodic with very catchy hooks which is indeed somewhat similar to Animal Collective. But the overall style has no comparisons I can think of in popular indie music.
On the other side of the guitar, the band's drums played by Logan Kroeber, creates as much of the Dodos' sound as Long's guitars and vocals. From interviews Kroeber said his drumming is metal influenced. I don't exactly know what that means, but his drumming has a very unique and powerful rhythmic sense to it, which sometimes feel even primal. It is an integral part of the group's overall sound but undeniably sepearate from Long's guitar. It's also like nothing I've heard before, but much more so than the guitars.
I digged up some of their live performances on youtube. They mostly sing about old lovers, memories but with some metaphoric political and social commentary in between.
Their single off "Visitor": "Fools"
One of my favorites, "Ashley"
A song off of their first album, "Beware of the Maniacs". "The Ball"
Another song off of "Visitor," "Red and Purple"
Hope you liked it.
