Is this what we’ve come to? That Dogs’ record company think their unique selling point is Kate Moss picking one of their tunes for a cosmetics ad? Rock ‘n’ roll is dead and its corpse is starting to stink. The last thing we need is a hybrid of Razorlight and The Libertines, a combination that makes Dogs double as London media darlings.
Funnily enough though, they might be just that. The comparison with the two aforementioned bands is unavoidable, yet Dogs manage to bulldoze a path through the middle of any preconceptions and even manage to sound reasonably fresh on their own terms.
Turn Against The Land is a record that wears its heart firmly on its sleeve, fixing its targets with an intense stare – however vague they may be (“Shed your load, your donkeys come home”). ‘End Of An Era’ is a lot easier to fathom, balancing the “It’s not happy when a long relationship ends” observation with a cheery “what a wanker” hook. It’s that kind of record, not particularly clever, but high on excitement. Singles ‘Selfish Ways’ and ‘Tuned To A Different Station’ bounce along in Hundred Reasons style. The latter’s twisting guitar riff is the only real concession to current musical trends.
In a world where being too clever for your own good has become something to once more be encouraged, Dogs offer a thrill that is simple, direct and utterly compelling. And that’s something that even Kate Moss can’t sully.