Posted by Nothing says southern rock like Saskatoon in Canada. They may be from Canada in the 21st century but they sound like they are from Florida in the 1970s. Despite me only recently discovering them, Keep Out Of The Storm is The Sheepdogs eighth album and is an evergreen display of classic and southern rock.
The feel good ‘Nobody But You’ sets the tone, upbeat yet laid-back 70s influenced rock – this earworm rekindling memories of The Allman Brothers Band in their pomp. Another relaxed gem is ‘Bad For Your Health’ with its devil may care attitude and slowburning, T-Rex style shuffle worming its way into your psyche. The bounciest number here, and a permanent feature in my head, is ‘I Do’ – about the joys of love set to the tune of silky smooth Thin Lizzy-esque twin guitar melodies. They have a knack for a hook and a good groove and ‘All I Wanna Do’, with its dirty, Kentucky fried riff and toe tapping Lynyrd Skynyrd rhythm, has both.
The songcraft and the natural, almost analogue-esque production values help make this record feel timeless. Like a well executed genre film, you know the beats its hitting and where its heading but it is so nicely crafted that none of that matters one jot. Whether it be the livelier numbers like the taut melody and snarling guitars of the title track and the rambunctious head turner ‘Playing All Night Long’. Or the softer moments, like the enchanting, summer evening atmosphere of ‘Breezy’ and ‘Take a Look At Me Riding’ with its thick, lounge jazz like groove and bursts of trumpet.
The firecracker ‘Out All Night’ with its multitude of lively solos, ends a warm and nostalgic sounding album that is stuffed with cracking tunes.
8/10
Lofty Music and Film 