‘Black Mamba’ is the 2022 album release from Dog Power, the collaborative effort of Ōtautahi duo Sam Perry and Henry Nicol. A departure from their 2018 self-titled debut album by way of foregoing some of the more avant-garde tendencies, ‘Black Mamba’ is a retro-tinged exploration of late-night rock’n’roll groove.

This time, Dog Power are guiding the listener through melody and atmosphere. Whether it be the five-minute mantra-like greeting of Welcome To Our Kingdom or the upbeat dance track Idvor Girls, you can easily picture ‘Black Mamba’ guiding your late-night drive wherever you’re headed, like sonic shamans.

Bad For You recalls the guitar-driven funk of bands like Kula Shaker, while the chugging foundation of Cab Driver is a bass line that builds into something bluesy akin to The Stone Roses. She Cheated Me shifts things to lounge with a moody bossa nova accompanied by haunting vocals. Dog Power’s use of space and panning combined with effects like delay and reverb work to create an immersive atmosphere you could easily get lost in, something emphasised in the almost languid 5.44min mid-album track We’re Alive For Us, which is reminiscent of early 2000s’ downtempo à la Air.

The aforementioned Ivdor Girls stands out as a single, a catchy new wave-meets-disco number rich with layers and hooks, while Valentine brings the mood down – a sharp contrast from the ’80s to an almost dirge, feeling like the emotional low point of the album where we wallow for a little while, before leading us into So Nice To See Girls Having Fun, an almost hymn-like delivery driven by a distant percussive strike.

The closing track, an instrumental fittingly titled Roll The Fuckin’ Credits, is an uplifting finale building with a driving percussion section interspersed with DJ scratches and synth pads, wrapping up the ups and downs to a triumphant resolve of our journey, we have reached our destination.