Sleeping Dogs - Death of a Muse Album Review
By Jove, they’ve done it again.
Three years ago it was my pleasure to cast my discerning ear upon Myth Reducer, the debut from Christchurch based Sleeping Dogs, and it blew my mind. Their sound was big, ballsy and, to quote myself, “Epic” (capitalisation intended).
Luckily, quite unlike Stone Cold Steve Austin, Sleeping Dogs haven’t softened with age. Death of a Muse, tinged with Queen and... uh... Muse-like brilliant, rocks hard and fast from Bitch to Natalie.
Like Myth Reducer before it, Death of a Muse is an emotional rollercoaster set to a heartrending soundtrack. There was a lot of chest clenching and fists held to the sky as I listened to this album, entirely uncontrollable, as you will no doubt find yourself. I hope passersby shoot you the same puzzled looks.
This band is one of those unsung kiwi underdogs that deserve a hell of a lot more media attention. Musicians that can play hard and fast and are able to transcend styles and genres in a single track. A singer with something intelligent to say and a voice that could send Jimmy Barnes back to work on the railroad. And yet, whenever I turn on the radio all I hear is the same filler material that’s been keeping poster children in the news since the eighties. I pin it down to the masochism of the general population. And the degeneration of our youth.
Only Sleeping Dogs could deliver the strictly R18 track Boom with such grace and style. For those of you that find your attention drawn to the music more than the vocals when listening to a song, I urge you to lend an ear to Thomas Reid for this song. You won’t need the lyric sheet for this one. Paradoxically, it’s such a radio-friendly song. I think that’s what I love about it. You could probably get a few plays on mainstream radio before anyone picked up on the expletives.
You may have missed the apparently shenanigan filled album release tour, but you can still stream and download Death of a Muse from the Sleeping Dogs Bandcamp page (http://sleepingdogs.bandcamp.com/). While you’re there, check out their last album, Myth Reducer, as well.
View Track Listing
About Sleeping Dogs
It all started with Thomas Reid; a mad, classically trained pianist and self confessed Bowie addict. One day and without warning he was inspired (“compelled by the Rock Gods” he will tell you) to start a rock band.
The first to jump aboard his rock ‘n’ roll odyssey was, old school friend and multi instrumentalist, Rocky. With considerable performing experience, Rocky is a man who prefers to maintain an air of mystery. In concert you’re likely to see him bouncing ‘round the stage like his sneakers are on fire. He’s frequently the group’s lighter relief and therefore an ideal balance in an industry that attracts deeply brooding artistic types, i.e. guitarists. He is, according to Thomas, “the only bass guitarist in the history of Rock that refuses to play the tonic”!
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Sleeping Dogs
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