IN REVIEW: The Sheepdogs - "Outta Sight"

 

It's always kind of felt like The Sheepdogs came from an alternate dimension. The story of their rise to prominence as a group of Guess Who loving dudes from Winnipeg being chosen as the winners of a contest that immortalized them as the first unsigned artist to ever appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, then having their major label debut produced by Dan Auerbach while The Black Keys were arguably the biggest rock band of the world... well, it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

Yet, here we are, over a decade removed from their breakthrough and now seven albums deep into a career that's seen them become one of Canada's most cherished touring acts. Also, their discography is remarkably consistent, their reverent songs echoing classic rock staples while never sounding explicitly like retreads; truly, The Sheepdogs have remained eager students of the game, and each release falls into place among the rest with ease.

Outta Sight, their first album in four years (although last year's No Simple Thing EP filled the gap nicely), isn't trying to alter the course of the band's history; the harmonies remain fully intact, the grooves laid back, and the songs pulsing with the same warm nostalgia they've made sound so easy all along. All the familiar touchstones are present and accounted for and, while we've pretty much reached the point where you know what a Sheepdogs record's going to sound like before you even press play, there is something to be said for their commitment to the craft, having now maintained their aesthetic for so long one wonders where they're hiding that time machine.

June 3, 2022 • Warner Music Canada

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