Let's take an amusing trip around the supergroup wheel! When the Lost Dogs debuted back in 1992 with Scenic Routes, they were often referred to as the Traveling Wilburys of the Alternative Christian Music scene. That was hardly a wise comparison then, but, for the record, the Dogs' latest Gift Horse has far fewer comparisons in sound and approach to the Traveling Wilburys now, than it does to the more recent alt-country supergroup Golden Smog (where members of Wilco, Jayhawks and Soul Asylum blend their talents together).
This time, the Dogs clear away the energetic but cluttered sound of previous albums, for a more raw, stripped down approach. In fact, the rough and ready alterna-rock and polished pop smorgasbord of their last two outings, Little Red Riding Hood (1993) and Green Room Serenade Part 1 (1996) has been eschewed here for the Dogs' most focused and countrified outing to date. Yet, before you dismiss them for Highwaymen wannabes, an overall edge in the production value and songwriting makes Gift Horse more interesting and entertaining than your average country collection, and nowhere near dismissible. Besides, with Terry Taylor at the songwriting helm, even old country cliches take on brand-spankin' new meaning through his trademark, creative lyrical twists.
The glorious result of another Dog collaboration is a cache of simple treasures, like the clever but convicting whimsy of "The Walls of Heaven," where a drunkard is rebuked by his dead wife's ghost, and "A Vegas Story," which laments losses and shattered hopes over the roulette table. Overall, this project's reoccurring theme of hope in the face of loss resonates most clearly in these words from "Diamonds to Coal:"
I was thinking I had everything
Thinkin' I was mighty
But lately I've been feelin' all the
Ash and dust inside me
And I can't ignore the Savior King
I can't avoid the cross
I'll need the help his spirit brings
To count my gain as loss.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerBy now, a new Lost Dogs album is like an old friend's tearful homecoming. That should come as no surprise--over the past twenty-five years, Terry Taylor, Mike Roe, Derri Daugherty, and Gene Eugene have recorded some of the most honest and personal music Christian rock has ever known. With their respective bands, Daniel Amos, The 77s, The Choir, and Adam Again, they've changed the face of CCM in…Similar sounding releases
2002Rhett MillerThe Instigator
2003The ThornsThe Thorns
1999Tom PettyEcho
1999Charlie PeacockKingdom Come
1998Three CrossesSkinny Flowers
2005Patrick AndrewThere and Then It's GoneMore from Lost Dogs
1993Little Red Riding Hood
1996Green Room Serenade, Part One
2003Nazarene Crying Towel
2005Island Dreams
2003Via Chicago (Video)
2004Mutt
