Album Review: Trench Dogs - Stockholmiana

We use some terms in derogatory ways, even when a bit of logic would tell us they aren't that at all. For example, let's take the term 'bar band'. That gets thrown around as a pejorative, an indication of a band's supposed lack of top-line talent. But why? If we think about it, those bars the bands are playing in are packed every weekend by people listening to that music. Whether we want to admit it or not, more people listen to that kind of music than most of the more 'artistic' strains. We can call it the 'Nickelback Principle', if you would like.

So when I say Trench Dogs have the sound and spirit of a bar band, I don't mean it as a bad thing. In fact, the down-to-earth relatability is a big part of their charm. Unlike a lot of bands, they don't give us so much posing and posturing they put us off with their dedication to being edgy rockers. Sometimes music is just a soundtrack for a good time, often as we're doing something else, and that's just fine.

Trench Dogs caught my ear because their music fits into the same mold as the recent Michael Monroe albums I have enjoyed so much. There's a dirty old-school rock and roll approach to this music, but Trench Dogs do it with a laid-back charm where they aren't spitting venom or playing with piss and vinegar. Again, that is a good thing. Trench Dogs' music is more inviting, and opens itself up to fitting more tones and moods.

Writing a song about missing the feeling pumpkin soup used to give you is a far cry from the days of Guns N Roses. This is more about brown sugar, not Mr Brownstone. I like this, because it keeps in mind the classic 80s rock star look was patently ridiculous. There was a bit of theater of the absurd to the whole thing all along, and it seems to me that gets lost in the discussions about why rock is struggling today. Rock used to be so much about image that cutting your hair was a major headline. That kind of undercuts the whole idea that rock was all about the music, and being 'real', now doesn't it?

There isn't much better in rock than finding yourself in a song-along, and that's what a track like "Wine Stained Eyes" is able to do. It's a perfect use of backing vocals, using them not as a gang chant, but as a communal experience where we're all getting swept up in the moment. It's those kinds of hooks that rock is so often missing out on, and it's the reason Trench Dogs succeed as much as they do. These songs are ingratiating, and extend a hand like an old friend.

No, Trench Dogs don't break any new ground on this record, but let's put this in perspective. If you dig a hole, you might strike gold, or oil, or water. You might also wind up with a giant pile of dirt. Sometimes doing what you know is going to work is the right thing, especially if you can do it better than many of the people already doing it. That's what Trench Dogs are doing; playing sticky old rock and roll better than a lot of the bands that get all the attention for it. "Stockholmiana" is a charming record that's a good bit of fun. It doesn't need to be anything more than that to be a winner.