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New tricks? Well, yes and no. In the sense that the band is writing and releasing new material, and touring to new places, sure. But their musical tricks involve chameleonesque delvings into many of the sounds already familiar to and popular with fans of contemporary Blues and Swing: nouveau-50's Rock'n'Roll (Don't Bug Me), Louisiana 2nd-line (Northbound Train), a croony Blues Waltz (You'll Never Know), 12-bar Swing (Why'd You Lie), Hi-test Cajun (Watch That Dog, which incidentally comes with drawly accent included), full-on Swing (Well Oh Well), and all points on the interstate in between. The result (somewhere between the Meters, the Commitments, and a 50's proto-Rock'n'Roll band), while maybe more tried-and-true than 'New', is still definitely fun, energetic, and refreshing when considered against the synthetic, watered-down musical backdrop that increasingly surrounds us. The Love Dogs distinguish themselves by playing what they mean, and really meaning what they play.
The Love Dogs were formed in 1994 by Bostonian drummer-cum-frontman Ed 'Duato' Scheer, who wanted a band that could make the music he'd always loved. They jammed and wrote, and then promptly hit the road. This is a multidimensional statement: one gets the distinct feeling from the album vibe, and the packaging and promo materials that Love Dogs are very much a 'road' band, which releases albums almost as a matter of necessity or afterthought. It occasionally comes off a bit dry on the disc, but in context this is well enough, since the point is to tease you into coming out to see a live show,
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which the album accomplishes cunningly. After listening, you do want to see them live.
Why? The listener can't help but feel that the mixed-and-flattened sound of a multitrack-recorded disc doesn't do justice to the really good things about them: the drum-tight horn section, for example, or Duato's vein-popping intensity as a singer. This gets to be a production thing, more than a band thing: the focal point is clearly the horns and vocals, but their ambience- their in-person chemistry- is hard to accurately translate into 50 minutes of bits and bytes. That would likely be the cumulative length of four or five songs in a live context. Big horn-based bands- especially party bands- need to be seen and felt to be understood, because the proof is in the onstage magic and spontaneity upon which their tradition is built.
Nevertheless, the listener still notes tight arrangements, wonderful ensemble work in the horn and rhythm sections, and a playful sensibility that makes for an entertaining listen. All that said, this release from The Love Dogs shows off their warm sound, fine arranging, and the atmosphere of let's-have-some-fun that pervades the record. If you get a chance to see them live, be sure to bring your poodle skirt.
By Kevan Corbett, CanEHdian.com 2001
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