If you’ve never heard of the brother’s Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa, then at least you are sure to have heard of the band Mental as Anything.
Dog Trumpet is their more recent project. Well, can I really call 1990 recent?
Their latest release is Great South Road, and is the first Dog Trumpet album since 2013.
It’s a title that serves as both a link to their childhood in New Zealand referring to the old main road leading from Auckland to Wellington passing through their southern Auckland suburb of Papakura; and also as a metaphor for the parlous and perilous state of the world, for a human society that appears to be heading South towards a dystopian future.
The album has beautiful vocal harmonies, and trademark instrumentals.
As for the particular style of music, I don’t think I’m game to nail them to a particular genre. Their own material describes it as “an eclectic blend of rock, psychedelic folk and semi-abstract blues.”
All I can say is that they have put together an amazing set of tracks some of which are whimsical commentaries – The Lonely Death Cleaning Company – and one is a physics dissertation – Gravity!
This is excellent material, and I can’t wait for them to bring a live showdown to our Great road after the COVID-19 stringencies are relaxed.
Check it out below.
Written by Dr John Lamp.