NMC #239 THE WINERY DOGS/IAN FLETCHER THORNLEY

[RJhog (Admin)]

The Winery Dogs - Hot Streak

1. Oblivion

2. Hot Streak

3. Empire

4. Ghost Town

5. War Machine

Ian Fletcher Thornley - Secrets

6. Frozen Pond

7. Stay

8. Fool

9. Elouise

10. Stop And Think

[Jon]

The Winery Dogs--Thumbs down

Quite bored with the first three songs, just full on incessant noodling and rather unemotional singing. On the fourth song I thought there was a mistake with the track listing since it sounded like Big Wreck but it wasn't. Really no noodling here and the singing was better than the first three songs. The last song was just like the fourth song so I got bored again. Just don't understand the infatuation with this band. Sure, they're fine musicians but they really haven't released anything that's made me sit up and take notice. 

[RJhog (Admin)]

Agree with your assessment of this album.  But I did like the debut, so I'm quite disappointed int this one.

[Jon]

Ian Thornley--Thumbs somewhere between half and 3/4 up

Very mellow stuff, maybe TOO mellow. It sounds really good but after a bit it becomes background music. Nothing really stands out, but I didn't disike anything so it's almost hard to grade this. SO, I'm going to stick with what I have, it's better than ok, but it's not great, it's good but not GOOD. 

[RJhog (Admin)]

I'd have to say your assessment of this one is right on.

[Scott]

WINERY DOGS ... Two Thumbs glad to have taken a wait and hear approach

Hit my radar hot and heavy at first and then, thankfully, the previews kinda pushed it aside into the wait and hear pile.  Glad I waited, this is not as good their debut.  What happened to the melodic notes?  Incessant noodling is a perfect description of what I'm hearing (Thanks Jon!).  No one would doubt these guys got the chops, now to put more thought into songwriting process and they may have something.  This sounds more like they were hoping to keep some momentum going from the debut success and sop this feels rushed.  Pretty predictable actually as this is a trap a lot of bands fall into.  Hot Streak is the messiest song though, and that's a bad indicator for a title track to be bad (IMO) ...  Moving this out of the wait to hear pile and into never recommend..

[Scott]

JANIS IAN FLETCHer LIVES THORNLEY ... Two Thumbs Agreeing with Jon!

This one never even hit my radar, but this is the Big Wreck guy, right?  So I know why you like it...  I would expect interesting guitar work from him, and I get that right away with the Dire Strait inspired opener.  Not bad little slow though.  Stay is the style of acoustic work I love, so I'm sucked in right away on this one. Nice bass line, like the production as well.  The chorus kinda fails this tune though, its such a beautiful number musically.  Maybe more listen would help because the tune is sweet! Fool is another nice tune, but it another mellow tune and feel like it could've been cut down by a minute at least, kinda dragged on.  Elousie, wow this is a mellow album I guess!  Not much upbeat here at all.  So far I like this track the least, though the ambiance the guitar work gives it is quite good.  And we end on an even mellower tune...  Really nothing terrible here, its all quite interesting and good, but like Jon said, its just good, not GOOD!