Track Dogs is the new trading name of the Garrett Wall Band, a four-piece Madrid-based ex-pat (Irish and American) crew with a flamenco box drum instead of conventional percussion, and trumpet taking much of the lead. Those variations give the band a less predictable sound, but while the quality of the songs is well up to standard, they tend to fit snugly into the standard issue file.
The infectious ‘Move A Mountain’ has a Dire Straits smoothness with glorious harmonies and golden brass. ‘Going Through The Motions’ is faster-paced but repeats the formula before they do an upbeat, but less fragile, re-working of Nick Drake’s ‘Hazey Jane 111’. Robbie Jones’ banjo on the charming ‘Raise Your Head’ brings a fresh tone, and more than a touch of the Mumfords, and the uptempo ‘Piece Of Cake’ with its stirring handclaps and namechecking Jesus and Buddha is also strong. There’s a tasty jazz-lite sassiness to the goodtimey ‘More To Say About That’. But ‘Rockpool’ and ‘Lough Auna Horse Reels’ are the most inventive tracks on the album, two sprightly instrumentals dominated by impressive trumpet from Howard Brown.
It’s to the Dogs’ credit that you don’t pine for the absence of electric guitar and a proper drumkit. Full marks too for the CD sleeve which features a series of fine landscape shots from the Duchais Collection.