Santa Dog - 'Kittyhawk' (Album Review)
Santa Dog are a four piece indie-pop band from Bristol, who have provided a debut album full of summery tunes with a dark underbelly. The band is led by the delicate vocals of Rowena Dugdale, who manages to convey emotional power without ever needing to shout her lyrics.
The album starts off on a strong note. At first listen 'Big Bang' is a tuneful little song that uses imagery of space travel. Scratch beneath the surface though and it turns into what seems to be an indictment of the big brother surveillance culture. This is typical of the style of this album, a pretty song that actually has a serious message.
The album starts to get noticeably darker on the track 'Chemical'. The rippling guitar riff and subject matter of chemical dependency would not seem out of place if Placebo had recorded it. However overall the style of the song is more in keeping with a band like The Sundays.
Another stand out track is 'Katy', which tells the tale of a desperate girl fooled into pornography. It's a subject matter I've heard several times in the past, but never with the conciseness and lyrical cleverness of this effort. Couple this with the vocals of Rowena sounding remarkably like Louise Wener of Sleeper and the overall affect is one that sticks in the mind.
It is a sign of the internet age that as of this writing the album is only available as a Japanese import. It is good that bands such as Santa Dog are getting many more opportunities to get heard by labels, but at the same time it is frustrating that the shipping costs could be more than the cost of the album. Fortunately all is not lost for UK listeners. A 7" of 'Big Bang' and 'Are You Hot Enough?' is available now, and if you go to iTunes you can download that single and also the The Chemical EP that includes album tracks 'Chemical' and 'Katy'. If there is any justice the band will be able to get a UK distribution deal sorted out. This is an album that deserves to be heard by as many people as possible.
This is one of those rare albums that can be enjoyed on many levels. If you just want to listen to a pleasant Teenage Fanclub type band then you'll enjoy this record. You'll also enjoy it if you like to really listen in depth to an album and find the emotional core of the tracks
