Here's an interesting one... Dogskin Suit finds its home in the Kelowna, BC, region of Canada, and while not a straight-ahead blues band, they keep traditions alive while moving forward. Led by Rick "Poppa Dawg" Halisheff on guitar and vocals, he's ably followed by Charlie Faulkner and Brian Maquire, holding rhythm section duties, Sig Schnellert on sax and keyboards, and Jamie Marshall's harmonica on occasion. Logging in at three-quarters of an hour, the 10 song disc is a well-produced effort with lots of positive attributes. Halisheff's voice is strong, with a whiskey-soaked edge, and as a songwriter, he tackles interesting subjects with a humorous, tongue-in-cheek style, while his guitar work is focused and to-the-point. Standouts are the rustling "Too Fast To Love," which features some talk-box guitar effects, "Riley's Lament," an instrumental dedicated to B.B. King, and the smoldering, in-your-face slow blues of "You Don't Cry Anymore," where Halisheff seems to take on a Tom Waits persona. The driving "Struggle And Strive" boils along a chugging, lowdown groove with everyone locking in, while boasting a fine tenor sax solo. Closing out with "Trukk's Song," dedicated to Halisheff's father, the sweet slide tones and syrup-drenched harp bring you back to earth with ease. Discs like this don't come along often enough, so it's truly appreciated when they do. Grab yourself a copy by logging on to: www.dogskinsuit.com or by emailing the band at: dogkinsuit@hotmail.com
This review is copyright © 2001 by Craig Ruskey, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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