Doghouse Roses "Doghouse Roses" (Independent 2006)
Folkies combine styles to offer up pleasant debut
Doghouse Roses hail from Glasgow and could easily be taken on face value as a folk band. This is predominantly a result of Iona MacDonald whose vocals are highly reminiscent of such folk luminaries as Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson. MacDonald has sung with Willard Grant Conspiracy so she does have some Americana pedigree. Paul Tasker takes responsibility for the guitar and most of the song writing. This debut album is a bit raw with the occasional dropped note and dissonant harmony but it is more charming for it.
Folk fans will enjoy ‘Whistle Song’ and the traditional Ewan MacColl style of ‘Nottamun Town’ and there is touch of alt-country evident on songs like ‘Evermore’ and ‘Happiness.’ The duo count Steve Earle and Gillian Welch amongst their strongest influences and the slide guitar solos on display suggest that these guys have more than just Bert Jansch albums in their collection. I'm guessing but the band's name could have even been taken from Earle's collection of short stories published earlier this decade. However Doghouse Roses views the world through a predominantly folk lens and will thus mostly appeal to fans of that genre
Nic Fildes, Americana UK
