Window Dogs - Afterlife EP

Window Dogs

Afterlife EP
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Window Dogs is a band from Cleveland, OH comprised of Sean Breeden (vocals/guitar), Nate Dreher (bass), Dan Cooley (guitar/banjo/vocals), Mike Jaworske (drums) and Jonathan Khouri (keys/vocals) that recently released a six-song EP entitled Afterlife.

After spending some time with the EP my first thoughts were that the band was versatile. They indulge in rock, some folk, and each song has a pretty distinct feel to it. There were some songs that had a style that seemed to fit them better than others. One of the songs that seemed to be a good fit for the band was the opener “Strouds” which reminded me of Mumford & Sons. It contains a bit of country, bluegrass and that upbeat, hopeful vibe that Mumford & Sons tends to have. “Strouds” is simply a fun, optimistic song and also happens to be one of Breeden’s best vocal performances.

“Time Machine” is a pretty straightforward rocker. The band can rock but I have to admit that I thought the band sounded better when there wasn’t as much distortion. That being said there is a wicked guitar solo and a pretty catchy hook.

I was more than happy with folk/alternative rock of “Looking Glass.” “Looking Glass” doesn't throw you any curveballs but is nonetheless a well written song. Out of all the songs this one felt like it could have come out of the ‘90s. I say that in a good way.

The band rocks out on “Buzzards” and pulls off a number of inventive tricks, for example, the upward ascending then descending guitar parts of jumbling breakdown of bass, drums and vocal harmonies. They close with “Doom Loop” which has a slight Slanted and Enchanted Pavement era vibe. I really enjoyed the way the lead guitar sounded on this song. 

Window Dogs is a solid band with a good amount of talent. I thought they sounded best when they melded folk and rock as to a more or less straightforward rock song. The EP isn’t perfect but was an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. I will at the very least be listening to “Strouds” and “Looking Glass” for the foreseeable future.

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