ELECTRIC CABIN

Album Review

Cabin Dogs are primarily the result of Rich Kwait and his brother Rob Kwait. What they succeed in doing is crafting time-honored Americana tracks along the lines of the Band, Blue Rodeo and Wilco. The first track "Together Again" has that loose, countrified feeling with a lead vocal that resembles Gordon Lightfoot to a certain extent. And each song seems to be fully fleshed out as they jam things out totally. The band have enough chops to nail each of these songs, but they break new ground with the rather soulful "Settle Down" that saunters along nicely with some fine backing harmonies. But they are at their best when they are in no hurry to wrap things up. A perfect example of this is the slow shuffling "Phoenicia" that sounds like it was picked from Neil Young's pocket circa Harvest Moon. The first surprise here has to be the soulful, funky roots pop oozing out of the catchy "Golden Blue" with its Queen-like bassline. They branch further out with the jam band '70s-sounding tune "Froggy" that seems suited for Deadheads and Phish fans alike. Fortunately, this is the only time they dip into that area, as "Inspiration" is a simple, catchy, finger-snapping, roots-oriented number. This pales, though, compared to the album's highlight "Cheyenne," a swaying Americana tune with some violin supporting the tight, terrific melody. The Cabin Dogs conclude with a cover of Neil Young's "One of These Days" that sounds like it's been influenced by Bob Seger's "Shame on the Moon." On the whole, it is an interesting and consistently good release.