Call The Dogs – The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs (“Victim of The Service Industry” is a rambunctious tribute to hospitality sector servitude, its sound firmly anchored in the ‘60s and its lyrical content in the here and now. Take a tip of a different type and dive in. Dino Everett’s loping bass-line locks in with Mike Sessa’s driving beat with beefy harmony vocals and jagged guitars bolstering a rise-and-fall chorus. It’s the longest cut at just under five minutes but doesn’t waste a note.
Flip it over and “’80s Baby” screams out of the blocks like a stolen muscle car. “I’m an ‘80s baby with a ‘70s heart,” rages Frank Meyer and you better believe him. Duelling sax and guitars at five paces and see you at the other end of the firestorm.
“Long Haul” nods in the general direction of the Mop Tops’ “Day Tripper” to show off the Cheetahs’ pop smarts, and ultimately comes across as a bastard rock and soul child of Cheap Trick. You could have worse parentage.
It’s vinyl but there’s also a download purchase option. That’s a compelling prospect if you haven’t worked it out by now.
1/2
