I feel like in today's political climate there is always room for an anti-establishment album. In fact, right now I would say there can't be too many. Rising up in their own, pop folk way is The Dog Wood Three with their self-titled album The Dog Wood Three. It's an album that illustrates a picture of rural life and touches on both political and emotional subject matter. In many cases those emotional and political veins collide. I think what I like most about this album is that they strongly illustrate just how personal political issues can be.
The album features a full lineup of eleven tracks. As I said, this album has a very rural feel and while I listened to it my mind was painting lovely, sprawling landscapes. The music is lovely. It cuts itself down the the smooth bare bones. There were also a lot of solid vocal performances. The aesthetic behind this album was the idea that the songs would resemble folk tales. I like this idea, but there were lots of moments where their steadfast conviction to this almost did them a disservice. The vocal and instrumental elements are good. There is a lot of talent here and these guys are very capable. Sometimes I got the sense they pulled back on their more sophisticated and modern tracks to keep in line with the folksy theme. I think there was more than enough room for them to veer more heavily into more modern, indie areas and they would have done it very well. They have definitely mastered that folk feel. I can tell these are genres this group has a love for and that's what gives this album so much heart. This album was forged in the wild wilderness of the mountains of Queensland, Australia and I think that beautiful landscape seeped into the music. I think the recording process was a success, especially when considering this was a home project. For the finishing touches, the album was turned over to Don Bartley at Benchmark Studios. This production on the whole I would confidently categorize as a success. I think the album speaks to an audience that is empathetic and has a bit of wanderlust. These winding tales they tell are deeply personal and honest. Not all anti-establishment music has to scream and shout. In the case of The Dog Wood Three, they tell an engaging story. I commend the group for their passion and undeniable dedication to this album.
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