Ferocious Dog
The Hope – Graphite Records
Folk punks Ferocious Dog have always played as if their life depended on it. A kind of danceable blitzkrieg, a soundscape of fiddle and drum. The Hope builds on that, and the obvious maturing of the artists within. You still get all the raucousness but everything is just that bit tighter. There are some nifty little technical bits too, but done within what works for the band sound. Often you can tell when people are comfortable with each other and have known and worked together for some time because of the way they gel. This is what you find on The Hope. It flows beautifully while still making its point. Ferocious Dog have come a long way but they are inexorably tied to their roots in the very best of ways. Their music merges gritty humour with poignant sadness and rays of sunshine. Once again they’ve made a record that speaks for others, not about them. The Hope does (and gives) exactly what it says on the tin.
Review by Gary Trueman