Sleeping Dogs Lie - Mud & Sky

Sleeping Dogs Lie 

Mud & Sky
self-released; 2014

3.9 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Eric Guenette aka Sleeping Dogs Lie isn’t exactly new to the music scene. He has been making and releasing for the last 17 years and doesn't seem like he is stopping anytime soon. He has had eight releases and wrote hundred of songs over that time and most recently released Mud & Sky, which is a fairly straightforward but very well written indie melancholy rock album. With that being said you may want to check out some of his previous material as he has released other albums more in common with ambient Eno-esque than indie rock. 

The album begins with a guitar driven song entitled “Unknown” that brings to minds ‘90s alternative acts like Pavement and The Smashing Pumpkins. Guenette utilizes clean and slightly fuzzy guitar tones to create a warm canvas for him to sing over. He has an immediately attractive voice that isn't particularly striking in some aspects but does contain comforting aspects that are hard to explain. Guenette explores interpretive and somewhat ambiguous meaning in “Unknown.” He sings, “Leavin’ Day The unknown won’t feel the same” during the chorus. 

The second song “Mean Time” is arguably better than the first. I thoroughly enjoyed the catchy chorus and the dry, clean guitar solo. Like its name “Iranian Space Monkey” comes out of nowhere. The song is quite humorous. He sings “Tehran has got a monkey An astronaut in fleece.” “Sunday Morning Coffee” is a solid acoustic number; one of my favorites actually while “Bad Luck” is an interesting concoction of sludge metal and hard rock. I thoroughly enjoyed the part in “Bad Luck” where it feels like the song is falling apart. 

He closes with the title song “Mud & Sky,” which is a bit of a downer but also pretty beautiful. He coats his voice in a thick hall-like reverb as he croons to the moon. 

Overall, Guenette delivers twelve tunes that will are highly repeatable. His experience shows as the song bristle with meaning and high production value. Highly recommended.

official website

official website