Blank Dogs have released an LP full of enjoyably doomy stuff, drawing on many sources, but mainly ploughing the Goth furrow.
Blank Dogs – Under and Under
http://www.konkurrent.nl/ http://www.intheredrecords.com/
Blank Dogs have released an LP full of enjoyably doomy stuff, drawing on many sources, (the opener, No Compass, sounds like they’ve got Will Sergeant on lead), but mainly ploughing the Goth furrow. Goth of the sort that was pioneered by Bauhaus, the Cure and the Sisters of Mercy. You know the stuff, spiky, sometimes deliberately thin in sound, and possessing a hypnotic groove.
Things start cheerfully enough, the sprightly Night Night could again have Mr Sergeant of the Bunnymen guesting on guitar. By the time we get to tracks like The New Things and Falling Back, we are deep in 17 Seconds territory, albeit with a large serving of fuzz.
Nothing is too plodding, however. The tracks are for the most part upbeat, the pace is kept pretty brisk and nothing hangs around long enough for you to feel too maudlin. This is an LP you have to be in the mood for though, as I can well imagine frustration creeping in, especially if you’re up for some frothy divertissement.
Words: Richard Foster