Released as a taster for
Mrnorth's forthcoming second album,
Sleeping Dogs offers up a tasty buffet of five numbers, that showcases the group's eclectic styles, strong songwriting, and Colin Smith's distinctive vocals. Let's dispense with the
U2 comparisons right off the bat; certainly the band prefer us to, why else open this set with their most similar song, "She Said I Know." Hailing from Ireland, the group knows there's no escape, so why not give the critics what they want? And so they do, "Said"'s a wonderful number full of chiming guitars, a grand sound, and rousing vocals for the journalists to paw over, a flawless tribute to Dublin's heroes, circa 1984, albeit with a tinge of
Simple Minds swirling round the mix. Now that
Mrnorth have got your attention, it's time to load the artillery and send a "Cannonball" straight into the fawning
U2 fans. "Said"'s polar opposite, this mortar shot of hard rock showcases the group at their toughest, with a touch of glam stomp around the edges to offset the aggressive "kill them all" message. The title track too delves deep into the rock world, but this time with a power ballad that reeks of the arena, with a roar inducing guitar solo, plenty of dynamics, and a yearning chorus that brings to mind
Radiohead. Guaranteed to be a show-stopper live. "Pretty Please" also has a
Radiohead edge, at least in the intro, but then
Mrnorth toughens the song up, agilely slipping between hard rock and a more alt sound. But it's "You and I, Gemini" that really showcases the quartet's stylistic versatility, as they slide back and forth between moody post-punk and a brighter, softer style, then slide straight into anthemic melodic punk. Five songs, five superb cuts, leaving one impatiently waiting to hear the full-length that it heralds. ~ Jo-Ann Greene