Snowdogs
Animal Farm CD - Victory

Victory Records seems to be making a conscious effort to branch out and expand the range of its roster as of late, but one can’t help but wonder what on earth they were thinking with this one. Okay, so maybe the opening poppy punk burst of “Are You With Missy?” is a little catchy, but the bulk of the songs that follow sound like a garage punk band nursing an unhealthy obsession with the arena metal of bad Eighties hair bands. Originally from London, and created by brothers Ville and Mat Leppanen, Snowdogs has apparently been doing pretty well overseas, but it is tough to see this record catching on here in the states. Maybe that is insulting to our music scene, or maybe it is insulting to the band, but it is difficult to imagine crowds of people lining up to hear this. Animal Farm, the band’s debut which was originally released on Track Records, takes the pop punk we are used to today, subtracts the goofiness and sappiness, and adds a bit more of a gritty and raw feel. Edgier punk cuts like “Little Liar” and “Alright! Ok!” stand out, as do the undeniably catchy hooks of tracks like “It Don’t Add Up,” while those like “Best Discoveries” and the six-minute “Neverfade” come off sounding like a bad Poison cover band with a penchant for rock ballads. Musically, the guys play tightly enough, better than you might expect from a debut record. But Ville’s castrated vocals are difficult to describe, wailing away in a peculiar fashion that is cute one minute, grating the next. And in the end, much like the Cuba Gooding Jr. flick of the same name, Snowdogs is something worthy of being passed over. (Eddie Fournier)
www.snowdogs.co.uk