There have been a lot of new San Francisco–based bands lately, and I have yet to find one I really like. Same goes for The Dodos, an acoustic act centered around a guitar and a drum, whose music left me feeling flat. I felt no passion, no creativity, no energy coming from the album. Two tracks actually managed to have a pulse and keep me interested (“Joe’s Waltz” and “Jodi”), and should be focused on by the band as something to build upon. Other than that, Visiter did not inspire me. It’s not that I don’t like acoustic music (see my reviews of Jose Gonzalez and Chatham County Line in past issues of the Rail), but The Dodos just don’t show that they’re enjoying making this music at all—it’s got no soul and no movement. For a record that is screaming to be called alt-folk, there doesn’t seem to be any of either component present. And like the animal they take their name from, I don’t see much of a future for them.