The Sheepdogs: Outta Sight Review
Bringing their Canadian pedigree back to the 1970s heyday of good ole time rock ‘n’ roll, The Sheepdogs stray away from pulling the wool over our eyes on Outta Sight. With six albums already to boot, it falls just short of being the magnificent seventh, but like their animal namesakes, they know how to get the job done. And let’s not be fooled, this is a job carried out with workmanlike efficiency and a no-BS approach.
Fast approaching 20 years as one of the hardest-living, hardest-grafting, groovilicious rock ‘n’roll outfits, they’ve covered plenty of ground and know how to herd the rest of the human race into uncontrollable feats of foot stomping and toe-tapping.
It takes less than three minutes to fall under the uplifting spell. Blasts of piano and southern charm provide unpretentious fun on opener “Here I am”, as Ewan Currie proudly declares he’s “with the band, sing it loud”.
Lead single “Find The Truth” has a Thin Lizzy quality to it with its twin-guitar harmony and funky interludes. “I Wanna Know You” continues the assault on the feel-good senses, and has a sing-along chorus that will thrill fans on their colossal North American tour in the fall.
The fabled twin-guitar attack is evident once more on the chugging “Waiting For Your Call”, while “Goddamn Money” is rich with Southern rock drawl. Raw and nasty, the guitar solo is worth its weight in gold and for my dollar, the best on the album.
However, it’s the heart of this LP where you hear a band truly outstanding in their field. “Carrying On” is addictively laid back and has a country-esque nod. The spirit of JJ Cale soars in the chilled out boogie of “So Far Gone”. It’s a real shuffler with beautiful fuzz and jingly tambourine.
At first glance, the title “Scarborough Street Fight” would suggest to me (being from the UK) a brawl had broken out at the seaside, but it grooves gloriously like sandcastles and ice-cream, almost sounding like the child that the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd never had. With its punchy riff and street-fighting edge, it wouldn’t be out of place in Southern rock’s golden era.
With their jam band feel, The Sheepdogs have proved you can’t hide when it comes to pure, straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll. Devoid of needless frippery, this hook-filled record is barkingly jubilant, and despite what appears a stingy running time of just 37 minutes and 35 seconds, it has the power to cheer anyone up after a tough day.
The Review: 7.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Find The Truth
– So Far Gone
– Scarborough Street Fight
The Big Hit
– Scarborough Street Fight
Buy the album: Amazon
