The Boston underground scene has always thrived on collaboration, but Good Dogs Wear Capes takes it a step further. This three-way split from Cape Crush, Good June, and Impossible Dog isn’t just a showcase of each band’s individual strengths—it’s a full-hearted celebration of shared creativity. With two tracks from each group, featuring vocals from at least one other band on every song, the EP feels less like a traditional split and more like an interconnected story, told in different voices.
A Unified Sound from Three Distinct Bands
At first glance, blending three bands into one cohesive release might seem chaotic, but Good Dogs Wear Capes is anything but. Instead, it’s a beautifully layered listen, where each track brings out a new shade of emotion, nostalgia, and raw energy. The fact that the vocalists recorded their parts together adds an extra spark—you can hear the chemistry, the encouragement, the collective energy that makes this project more than just a well-mixed playlist.
Cape Crush leans into their signature mix of heartfelt lyricism and driving melodies, Impossible Dog brings an anxious, intricate emotional weight, and Good June rounds it all out with their knack for bittersweet hooks. And yet, somehow, every song feels like it belongs to all three.
Track-by-Track Highlights
1. “Apple at the Aggy” – Cape Crush ft. Good June
Right away, Cape Crush sets the tone with a song that feels like a hazy, late-night memory—the kind that won’t quite let go. The imagery is vivid (“Knelt in front of the fireplace / In love with the laughter plastered all over your face”), and the melody aches in that perfect pop-punk way. The shared vocals add depth, as if two different sides of the same memory are clashing together. Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!!!
2. “Better in the Morning” – Good June ft. Cape Crush
A slow-burning, self-aware anthem about bad habits and regret, this track carries a familiar but never tired theme: the hope that tomorrow will bring clarity. The lyrics (“My heart is a liar / And my tongue’s a smoking gun”) cut deep, and the interplay between Good June and Cape Crush’s vocals makes it feel like a confession bouncing between friends in the middle of the night.
3. “Build Up” – Impossible Dog ft. Good June
This might be the standout track. Impossible Dog leans into anxiety-ridden lyricism, capturing the tension of overthinking every interaction. The repeated mantra—“I build you up, I build you up”—feels obsessive, but in a way that’s deeply relatable. The build-up (pun intended) to the final lines, “But I don’t even know you”, hits like a gut punch. It’s indie-emo gold.
4. “Katie on the Radio” – Cape Crush ft. Impossible Dog
If Build Up was the nervous spiral, Katie on the Radio is the exhale. It’s cinematic, soaked in nostalgia and a little bit of regret, like an old song playing in the background of a party you don’t really want to be at. “Full of stones that never rolled away / And we play them anyways” is such a striking line—this song knows exactly what it’s doing.
5. “Count on Me” – Good June ft. Impossible Dog
The most emotionally raw moment of the record, Count on Me feels like an outstretched hand in the dark. The chorus, “Cause when everything is wrong, you know that you can count on me,” is as comforting as it is heartbreaking because you get the sense that the vocalist might not entirely believe it. There’s a weight here that lingers long after the song fades out.
6. “Once or Twice” – Impossible Dog ft. Cape Crush
A gut-wrenching closer. The self-loathing in lines like “Could I change if I tried? I thought I tried once or twice” is crushing, and the song refuses to offer a neat resolution. It ends the EP on a note of uncertainty, which somehow feels perfect—because when it comes to relationships, growth, and regret, do we ever really get closure?
Final Thoughts: A Testament to Collaboration
There’s a warmth to Good Dogs Wear Capes that goes beyond the music itself. It’s in the way these bands approached the features, sometimes letting guest vocalists shape parts of the lyrics, sometimes weaving them into a story that was already set in motion. It’s in the gang vocals, the shared studio experience, the way the project feels like a labor of love rather than just a cool idea.
The production, handled by Nicholas Starrantino and Pierce Johnston, deserves credit too—balancing DIY grit with a polished final product, never losing the intimacy that makes these songs connect so well.
Ultimately, Good Dogs Wear Capes is a snapshot of the Boston underground and also a reminder of why this kind of scene matters. Music like this thrives on connection, on shared experiences, on late-night recordings and spontaneous harmonies. It’s the sound of a community, and it’s the kind of record that makes you want to be part of it.
Score: 9/10
(Or maybe an 11, if you measure in friendship points.)