Like the classic Los Angeles punk upstarts
X,
Mummydogs combine softer, clean guitar-driven paeans (including "Look at the People," which touches upon the Western blues hues similar to
Exene Cervenka's outfit) with distorted riff-leading tracks, such as the spirited "Paul of the Jungle" and especially "Red Bandana." Coupled with the
John Doe-like wobbling warble that Guy Kyser occasionally assumes ("Ask Me No Questions") and the addition of sometimes-banshee, sometimes-crooning female accompaniment that his keyboardist spouse, Johanna, supplies in abundance, this eponymous debut fits into that unit's pantheon even more. This isn't a bad thing, especially since as influential
X was, very few artists acknowledge this so literally, allowing the disc to sound quite unique relative to current trends. Not as experimental as Kyser's old troupe,
Thin White Rope, but still retaining the dark feel of the far-too-often unheralded underground group nonetheless, and with more emphasis on the basics and actual songs, this project kicks off as both a nice extension of his past work and a solid start for the future. ~ Brian O'Neill