Gray Dog - The Deal (2017)
While this may have been released last
year, the efforts the band went to in order to get a physical copy to
me (intercontinentally, and relayed from one old address to the next)
were enough to win me over into doing a review for it anyway.
So, this is the first EP from the
Belarusian duo of Gray Dog, who are currently operating out of Poland
(good company there). The EP's five tracks unearth some blues of the
dirty and heavy variety, with twanging strings and wounded yells
forming the main thrust of the music. Regret and pain are the main
themes, as is commonly the case with blues, and the fretwork is
nimble, sparing, and stylish. The production is likewise kept
uncluttered, though the grimy tint comes through undimmed, and the
growls and strings both get their full register across in fine
clarity. Percussion is limited to thumps on the guitar's body (and a
couple slaps of a background tambourine), which helps keep the sense
of physical immediacy strong. There's a real sense of life to it
(especially when they start baying like coyotes), and it's a welcome
change-up from the dense posturing all too common in heavy rock. If
you've been looking for something off the beaten path, but still
truly heavy, here's your prescription.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; The Barnburners, Cebo))),
The Midnight Ghost Train, Muddy Moonshine, T.K. Bollinger & That
Sinking Feeling
~
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