SPLIT DOGS ‘Nice N’ Rough’ Review ****
Ooh, err, missus! The new Split Dogs album is indeed nice and rough — and, make no mistake, it’s a cracker.
Somehow, in between the gazillion gigs they’ve been hammering out, they’ve found time to write and record a new album. This time they’ve gone dirtier and rockier, which plays right into their strengths. Think AC/DC around Powerage and Let There Be Rock — the period when their raw, stripped-back, dirty rock sound could almost have been mistaken for punk. Except Split Dogs still have that full-on punk attack, speed and attitude running right through it.
Leading from the front is Harry Martinez, that inexhaustible bundle of motion and human hurricane, armed with that fucking fantastic Bon Scott-meets-Tina Turner voice.
Mil might now be starting to look like Joe Bouchard from the mighty Blue Öyster Cult — and, to be honest, that’s a compliment. It’s a cool look that has survived five decades, so why the fuck not? His riffs drive the songs, but this is very much a band effort. Suez Boyle on bass and Chris Hugall on drums lock everything together and give the whole thing its muscle. That’s why it works.
The PR says
Nice N ‘Rough is bolder, brassier and even more fun. The new ingredients are “confidence and time”, says Mil. “We’ve not lost what we were, but we’ve evolved and tightened the screws, cleaned it up, made it a little slicker. The songs are more thought-out, and everyone’s had a hand in them.” The lyrics are brutal and funny, like great rock’n’roll is supposed to be, the likes of ‘Breaker’ and ‘Born Too Loose’ grin-inducing bangers in the lineage of Chuck Berry and AC/DC, while the frenetic frug of ‘Shake Some Action’ and the irresistible slamdance of ‘Power Out’ make like the MC5 at the Grande Ballroom NYE party as the clock strikes midnight.
“Rock’n’roll’s meant to be fun, isn’t it?” Mil says. “There aren’t enough bands doing that OTT, tongue-in-cheek thing. When I was younger, I wanted to seem cooler and tougher than I was. Now, I don’t care what people think of me, so I wear my heart on my sleeve. We’re quite shameless, really.”
Suffer and Be Somebody are still my picks of the album, IMHO. They’ve also developed a canny knack for making entertaining, memorable videos on a shoestring to go with the songs. But the more I listen, the more the other tracks start to get under my skin.
Power Out has a bit of everything and is as good a closing track as you could want. Tempo changes, backing vocals, a Buzzcocks-style solo — it just keeps throwing things at you. Get The Look is a catchy earworm again driven by Suez’s bass. I Wanna kicks off with some great staccato guitar and a lovely filthy, overdriven bass before going completely gung-ho again. It’s also good to hear the instruments being given a little more room to breathe at the start of this track, and perhaps that’s something they can explore as the songwriting develops. Maybe, dare I say it, even a slower number where Harry can really let rip!
Split Dogs are doing it the hard way, much like The Meffs — gigging relentlessly, anywhere and everywhere that will have them, and picking up new fans every time they play. I’d love to see them paired with someone completely unexpected, the way The Meffs have done, and opening for Alice Cooper, or hitting Download Festival and getting their music in front of a whole new crowd.
For this band, the sky really is the limit. This is a strong album, but I reckon the best is still to come.
Out September 25th Via Venn Records – Pre-order HERE
TalkPunk
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