Rock artists who remain faithful to their original influences inevitably become “classical” in their own way—and I’m not speaking exclusively about classic rock. Instrumentalists in classical music learn to master the scores of the greatest composers; classic rockers learn the riffs, the tone of the guitars, the phrasing of solos, the chords suited to this or that context, the structure of the beat on the drums and the lines drawn by the bass, as well as the groove required to interpret each style.
The Sheepdogs are a clear example of this. These musicians demonstrate long experience: Ewan Currie (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards); Ryan Gullen (bass, vocals); Shamus Currie (keyboards, guitars, vocals); Ricky Paquette (guitars, vocals). We should also mention the founder Sam Corbett (drums), who recently left the band.
So here comes a new studio album—the ninth from the band since 2007, if we include their early self-produced records. Every useful corner of the past feeding these compositions has been carefully examined. Two decades of practice have led these guys to a high level of expertise, at least in what they express here.
Le quartette canadien a longtemps été associé au rock sudiste et au blues-rock.
The Canadian quartet has long been associated with Southern rock and blues rock. That is still true today, although one can hear other sounds beyond those related to Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Canned Heat, or JJ Cale. In Saskatoon, where The Sheepdogs began, Southern expressions had already echoed. Today, other elements appear on the album Keep Out of the Storm, closer to grooves rooted in Afro-descendant traditions, in the vein of the Neville Brothers—whether R&B or even jazzy. But broadly speaking, one still enjoys letting one’s eardrums resonate with the sources of rock and its father, the blues. Classic emotions, needless to say.
