The Sheepdogs ’70s CanCon rock band lineage can be traced back through heritage acts The Guess Who (No Sugar Tonight), Crowbar (Oh What A Feeling), Lighthouse (Sunny Days) and The Five Man Electrical Band (Signs). Although they freely admit to forming under the heavy influence of Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, Humble Pie and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Sheepdogs are perhaps best viewed in light of their particularly Canadian pedigree. Formed just over a decade ago around the nucleus of rock steady rhythm section Ryan Gullen (bass) and Sam Corbett (drums) Australian-born lead singer/guitarist and primary songwriter Ewan Currie rounds out the lineup along with brother Shamus Currie (trombone/keyboards) and the latest addition to the band, former child prodigy and award-winning Canadian blues guitarist Jimmy Bowskill. Noted for being the first ever unsigned band to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, the Juno Award winning Platinum selling Sheepdogs are 12 years into a gig which began a year before Trying To Grow, their self-released first album from 2007. Five albums later and The Sheepdogs sound content sticking to a tried and tested formula for success with their retro sounding ‘70s styled bluesy guitar rock, what frontman Ewan Currie likes to describe as “pure, simple, good-time music”. However, he may want to consider ditching the Abbey Road-styled song medley album enders The Sheepdogs have come to employ for half of their albums now, the approach feeling wholly predictable, tired and completely over utilized by the band. Be that as it may Changing Colours is a more than satisfying listen, expertly produced, arranged and executed, highlighted by soaring vocal harmonies and musicianship that is tight as a drum. A slickly produced professional sounding success, nothing more and nothing less than what has come to be expected from Saskatoon’s famously derivative sons.
Rating: 7/10
2018 Album Review 5/52