The disc gets off to a great start with "Laid Back", a toned down, roots rock number that lets you get acquainted with the wonderful lead vocals of Ewan Currie, whose vocal abilities allow each song to have its own identity and allow the album to have a wealth of diversity that you just can't get from any other disc out there. "Feeling Good" picks up the blues rock influence quite a bit, and is evident from the production credits of Patrick Carney from The Black Keys, who lent a hand in producing this album which also lends a stamp of approval as you know that the album was in caring and committed hands from the start. "Alright OK" is a pure, Southern influenced gem that has the feeling you're relaxing out on a porch somewhere down South enjoying your lemonade while the summer breeze is waving through your airspace and comforting you all the way through. "Ewan's Blues" starts out with a comforting piano piece that melds in beautifully with the moody, blues oriented guitar riffs that lead this song to a comforting and promising future. My favorite song off the album is the down and dirty first single, "The Way It Is" a tough, gritty hard-nosed rocker that pulls no punches with Ewan's vocals jumping out at you when you first listen to it with the downright nasty guitar riffs making this song a treat to listen to and one you're sure to have on repeat for multiple listens as well.
We enter the album's second half with "I Need Help" a melodic, straightforward rock jam that gives the listener some variety in the process and a glimpse into the band's creative process and how they construct each composition they make, from songwriting right down to the instrumentation put on display here. "Is Your Dream Worth Dying For?" picks up the melodic intensity quite a bit and relies on Ewan's thick and heavy vocals reaching new heights and propelling this song in a different realm than all the others. "How Late, How Long" sounds like a 70's era throwback jam that The Allman Brothers might create with wonderful harmonies and the band's divine instrumentation lending a hand to an already stellar and full bodied album put forth so far. "In My Mind" is an downtempo, aural delight with pleasant guitar melodies instantly making you feel relaxed and right at home with this comfortable jam. The album starts to close out with "While We're Young" an eclectic, fun-filled jam that is an instant grower with Ewan's strong vocal abilities and upbeat instrumentation giving way to a full focused rocker that knows what it wants to sound like before the song even begins. The album closes out with "It Ain't Easy To Go", a mostly acoustic based number that relies on its blues oriented roots to craft a wonderful and reflective tune that takes in all of the previous elements we heard in one way, shape, or form here and presents it in an encapsulated format that showcases all the diverse and broad musical elements that we've heard on our musical journey here. When I first heard The Sheepdogs last fall, I was enthralled with their bare bones, Southern rock influenced jams that reminded me of classic rock bands from the late 60's and early 70's who we don't see as of much of in this day of age, and the fact that they all have long flowing hair and epic beards lends to their authenticity and their image as a straight shooting roots rock quartet.
All together, a wonderful and well thought out effort here from The Sheepdogs, who have made a terrific first impression on their prospective listeners with a sharply focused and straight up terrific album that showcases the band's remarkable musical craft and how authentic they sound when you first hear them. Definitely recommended!
Album Score: 4/5
Track Listing:
- Laid Back
- Feeling Good
- Alright OK
- Never Gonna Get My Love
- Ewan's Blues
- The Way It Is
- Javelina!
- I Need Help
- Is Your Dream Worth Dying For?
- How Late, How Long
- Sharp Sounds
- In My Mind
- While We're Young
- It Ain't Easy to Go
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