It took a while (longer than anyone expected, actually) for the trends in rock to start shifting away from the guitar-pop masquerading as “indie rock” which has held the popular imagination of the record-buying public for the last couple of years, but it seems to finally be happening now, as the bands begins to go their separate ways. Both The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene have already broken stride with their “indie rock” beginnings as both Forgiveness Rock Record and Together found those bands incorporating more divergent sounds into their music which has been eaten up by the public and now The Golden Dogs have returned from a four-year break to follow suit; while they're not following BSS' of the Pornographers' example on Coat Of Arms (no electronics here), the album does represent another sound again and furthers the notion that a change is in the air.
On Coat Of Arms, The Golden Dogs have thrown a tremendous amount of distance between themselves and the “indie rock” fad. From the opening swing of “Dear Francis,” it's clear that Detroit and that city's lustrous history (from Motown to The Slumber Party to The Stooges to Ted Nugent and more) were the things that captured The Golden Dogs' attention and imagination during the writing and recording of the album. On songs like “Dear Francis,” “Dark Room,” “Weapon,” “Lester” and “Permanent Record,” singer Dave Azzolini coerces his rhythm section into producing a fantastic and boisterous swing that hasn't been done as well since 1976 . In those songs, every time Mike O'Brien's lean but powerful guitar, Taylor Knox' drums and Azzolini's bass converge, the effect is a resounding, vintage chime that will cause the hips of listeners to move involuntarily. It's a potent vibe that the band sets up, and listeners will find themselves head over feet for the band's amped up R&B.
In most situations, that would be enough to get a record over with listeners – but The Golden Dogs have a secret weapon still left to play: female counterpart singer and keyboardist Jessica Grassia. With listeners already in the mood courtesy of Azzolini's husky baritone, Grassia is able to steal in and steal the mic for a bit of Slumber Party-esque sweetness on “As Long As You Like,” “Underwater Goldmine” and “When The Movie's Over” that proves to be the silver lining under Azzolini's golden, ominous thunderheads.
With such admissions made, it should go without saying that Coat Of Arms is a rousing success, but it's more than just that; on this album, while everyone else has consciously attempted to focus on the “rock” side of their “indie rock” sound, it's clear in listening to Coat Of Arms that The Golden Dogs haven't concerned themselves with making some big statement of what it wants to do or how it wants to appear, they're they're just doing what comes naturally to them here. Because that effortless vibe is both intoxicating and impossible to miss, it makes Coat Of Arms easy to love; it is a fantastic return.
Artist:
www.thegoldendogs.com/
www.myspace.com/thegoldendogs
Download:
The Golden Dogs – “Permanent Record” – Coat Of Arms
Album:
Coat Of Arms comes out on July 27, 2010 through Nevado Records. Pre-order it here on Amazon .
