THE SHEEPDOGS
''THE SHEEPDOGS DELUXE''
SEPTEMBER 4 2012
52:50
1. Laid Back/3:30
2. Feeling Good/3:10
3. Alright OK/4:14
4. Never Gonna Get My Love/3:15
5. Ewan's Blues/2:43
6. The Way It Is/2:33
7. Javelina!/2:38
8. I Need Help/2:34
9. Is Your Dream Worth Dying For?/2:56
10. How Late, How Long/3:08
11. Sharp Sounds/2:53
12. In My Mind/4:06
13. While We're Young/2:44
14. It Ain't Easy To Go/3:40
15. Alright OK (Acoustic)/3:14
16. The Way It Is (Acoustic)/2:32
17. Whocoustic (Bonus Track)/3:00
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
The Sheepdogs' first big break came in the summer of 2011, when the hard-touring Canadian band won a contest that put them on the cover of Rolling Stone, the first time the magazine had put an unsigned act on the front page. That's more than fitting, since the band's music and style harken back to a time when most rock groups dreamed of someday gracing that magazine's cover; the Sheepdogs' self-titled major-label debut is an easygoing but hard-grooving set of boogie rock that would have sounded fine pouring out of dorm room stereos and/or 8-track tape decks in 1974. The Sheepdogs are unapologetic in their love of vintage Southern rock and party-hearty barroom boogie, and that's one of the reasons why this album works so well -- these guys don't come off as revivalists, but rather four dudes who play this stuff because it comes naturally to them, and though their influences are clear, they've synthesized them into a personality of their own that's organic and genuinely likable. There's a winning modesty to Ewan Currie's lead vocals that's devoid of a preening attitude while still sounding passionate and forceful, and Currie and Leot Hanson's guitars lock in tight on their dueling lead lines, while bassist Ryan Gullen and drummer Sam Corbett push this music forward with the funky, dependable insistence of a VW microbus. The closest kin the Sheepdogs have in contemporary music would be some of the shaggier acts on the jam band scene, but thankfully, this act understands the value of songcraft (only two songs here crack the four-minute mark), and the tunes have a warm, midtempo pulse and a melodic warmth that doesn't wander off the track or overstay its welcome. The Sheepdogs often sounds like the album Stillwater (the fictive band in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous) never got to make, and if none of these songs sound quite as anthemic as "Fever Dog," "While We're Young" sure comes close, and all in all, this LP is an unpretentious delight. With any luck, this will keep the Sheepdogs in the honorable occupation of playing North America's better roadhouses for the next few years; if ever there was music made to accompany a few cold ones on a Saturday night out with the guys, this is it.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Built on the solid, classic rock foundation of three-part harmonies and dual guitar leads, Canada’s the Sheepdogs blend Southern boogie rock, groove-based psychedelia, and bluesy barroom swagger into a modern rock & roll revival. Based out of the Saskatchewan city of Saskatoon, and featuring the talents of Ewan Currie (vocals, guitar), Leot Hanson (guitar), Ryan Gullen (bass), and Sam Corbett (drums), the group released three full-length independent albums (Trying to Grow [2006], The Sheepdogs’ Big Stand [2008], and Learn & Burn [2010]) before appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in August 2011 after winning the magazine’s “Choose the Cover” competition. The hard-touring band released a new EP, Five Easy Pieces, later that year, followed by their eponymous fourth studio album in 2012.
''THE SHEEPDOGS DELUXE''
SEPTEMBER 4 2012
52:50
1. Laid Back/3:30
2. Feeling Good/3:10
3. Alright OK/4:14
4. Never Gonna Get My Love/3:15
5. Ewan's Blues/2:43
6. The Way It Is/2:33
7. Javelina!/2:38
8. I Need Help/2:34
9. Is Your Dream Worth Dying For?/2:56
10. How Late, How Long/3:08
11. Sharp Sounds/2:53
12. In My Mind/4:06
13. While We're Young/2:44
14. It Ain't Easy To Go/3:40
15. Alright OK (Acoustic)/3:14
16. The Way It Is (Acoustic)/2:32
17. Whocoustic (Bonus Track)/3:00
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
The Sheepdogs' first big break came in the summer of 2011, when the hard-touring Canadian band won a contest that put them on the cover of Rolling Stone, the first time the magazine had put an unsigned act on the front page. That's more than fitting, since the band's music and style harken back to a time when most rock groups dreamed of someday gracing that magazine's cover; the Sheepdogs' self-titled major-label debut is an easygoing but hard-grooving set of boogie rock that would have sounded fine pouring out of dorm room stereos and/or 8-track tape decks in 1974. The Sheepdogs are unapologetic in their love of vintage Southern rock and party-hearty barroom boogie, and that's one of the reasons why this album works so well -- these guys don't come off as revivalists, but rather four dudes who play this stuff because it comes naturally to them, and though their influences are clear, they've synthesized them into a personality of their own that's organic and genuinely likable. There's a winning modesty to Ewan Currie's lead vocals that's devoid of a preening attitude while still sounding passionate and forceful, and Currie and Leot Hanson's guitars lock in tight on their dueling lead lines, while bassist Ryan Gullen and drummer Sam Corbett push this music forward with the funky, dependable insistence of a VW microbus. The closest kin the Sheepdogs have in contemporary music would be some of the shaggier acts on the jam band scene, but thankfully, this act understands the value of songcraft (only two songs here crack the four-minute mark), and the tunes have a warm, midtempo pulse and a melodic warmth that doesn't wander off the track or overstay its welcome. The Sheepdogs often sounds like the album Stillwater (the fictive band in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous) never got to make, and if none of these songs sound quite as anthemic as "Fever Dog," "While We're Young" sure comes close, and all in all, this LP is an unpretentious delight. With any luck, this will keep the Sheepdogs in the honorable occupation of playing North America's better roadhouses for the next few years; if ever there was music made to accompany a few cold ones on a Saturday night out with the guys, this is it.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Built on the solid, classic rock foundation of three-part harmonies and dual guitar leads, Canada’s the Sheepdogs blend Southern boogie rock, groove-based psychedelia, and bluesy barroom swagger into a modern rock & roll revival. Based out of the Saskatchewan city of Saskatoon, and featuring the talents of Ewan Currie (vocals, guitar), Leot Hanson (guitar), Ryan Gullen (bass), and Sam Corbett (drums), the group released three full-length independent albums (Trying to Grow [2006], The Sheepdogs’ Big Stand [2008], and Learn & Burn [2010]) before appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in August 2011 after winning the magazine’s “Choose the Cover” competition. The hard-touring band released a new EP, Five Easy Pieces, later that year, followed by their eponymous fourth studio album in 2012.
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