Music Street Journal - Music News & Reviews

Damn Tall Buildings Sleeping Dogs Review by Gary Hill With a sound that lives somewhere in the shared space between country, bluegrass and folk, Damn Tall Buildings creates effective music on that basic plan. There is a decent range here, and nothing is particularly weak. That said, there are a few tracks that stand taller than the rest, and I think I like this best when they focus on a layered vocal arrangement. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024 Volume 2 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review

What A Nice Life This has a great country folk groove to it. It's bouncy and fun. I love the rich and layered vocal arrangement. There is an acapella bit at the end.

Dark Window Panes Fast paced and bluegrass based, this short tune is high-energy and very entertaining.

Podcast While there is still plenty of country in the mix here, this rocking little number feels closer to folk music most of the time. It's no less compelling or entertaining than anything else here, though. It also includes some cool jamming at the end.

Cold Rain Old timey country sounds are on the menu as this gets underway. It gets more driving and rocking as it continues, though. I really like the violin (or should I say "fiddle?") work later, too.

Lemons This is a bouncy, playful folk meets bluegrass type of number. The frantic jam later is all class.

My Baby More of a thoughtful, mellower concept is on the menu here. The banjo is a great touch. This is basically a ballad, and it has plenty of folk and bluegrass built into it.

Patio The fiddle is a big part of the arrangement on this track. This is another entertaining bluegrass based piece.

Painter More down-home in nature, this has some cool grooves and solid hooks.

Quietly Heartbreaking This is perhaps less country than some of the rest of the music here. It has a potent folk music vibe. The country things are more about roots leanings in the way they are included. This might be my favorite song here. It just works so well.

Sweet Girl Another bouncy tune, this has a lot of down-home quality built into it. It's a fun romp.

Sleeping Dogs I like the driving folk rock meets country vibe of this song. It's definitely one of the best tunes here, making it a great choice both for closer and title track.

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