Lost Dogs

Item: Green Room Serenade, Part One
Author: Chris Well

Green Room Serenade, Part One

(1996)

Reviewed by Chris Well

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Label Brainstorm Artists7ball #7July/August 1996

alternative country americana roots rock

What's amazing is that while Lost Dogs is generally considered a side project for the four members--Gene Eugene hails from Adam Again and the Swirling Eddies; Terry Taylor hails from Daniel Amos and the Swirling Eddies; Derri Daugherty hails from The Choir; and Michael Roe hails from the 77's--with each successive release they congeal more and more into a real, living breathing entity known as the Lost Dogs: Not a side project, not a hobby, but a band worthy of attention on its own superlative merits. The Green Room Serenade, Part One (half of what was once planned to be a double-disc release) finds the four growing more comfortable with each other. The previous two records, fine as they were, suffered at times from the "kitchen sink" approach--all four songwriters took advantage of the opportunity to break character, resulting in wildly disparate styles, tracked side by side. Green Room Serenade finds a comfortable place where all the styles meet, a breezy, triple-A record blending post-modern country and latent blues with light folk elements, while the four voices and guitars blend as superbly as could be imagined. It's not homogeneous, by any means--the album's climate includes wry indignation, sweet charm, bitter rock 'n' roll, and even a sort of Elvis impersonation. The "smorgasbord" is still available, but the four chefs' work in tandem now. Green Room Serenade is a fine introduction to The Lost Dogs, a foursome that has become a real band--no side project, no hobby--just smart, rootsy rock for grown-ups.