When
the Undertones reunited in 1999 without original vocalist
Feargal Sharkey, fans were shocked that the four other members of the band would have the audacity to replace such a unique and inspired frontman. Once they heard new vocalist Paul McLoone, they began to change their tune, slowly but surely. Surprisingly, McLoone was able to tackle the old material quite nicely without sounding like a cheap impersonation of
Sharkey. By the time the band finally released their first album with their "new" vocalist, 2003's
Get What You Need, old fans embraced McLoone with open arms and were happy to see the band back in action. With John O'Neill handling most of the songwriting, the band's sound was less
Undertones-inspired and veered more towards his work with
That Petrol Emotion. Still, the album contained some great material and put the spotlight back on this deserving Irish outfit. Four years later comes the second McLoone-fronted
Undertones album and what a treat it is! The songs on
Dig Yourself Deep are a true return to the classic sound of
the Undertones: infectious songs that are short, sweet, and to the point. In all honesty,
Feargal's voice could sometimes be a little grating over the course of an entire album, but not so with McLoone. He has better command of his voice and is able to be more forceful where
Sharkey was sometimes little more than "interesting" (and this is written by a fan of the man!). "Dig Yourself Deep," "Precious Little Wonder," "Tomorrow's Tears," "Everything You Say Is Right," "We All Talked About You," and "She's So Sweet" are perfect additions to the band's hook-laden catalog and sound like the missing links between the
Hypnotised and
Positive Touch albums. And out of 14 tracks, only one song gets close to the three-minute mark, and not one of them gets remotely close to outstaying their welcome. Any
Undertones fan who have held back on giving them a go since their re-formation should do themselves a favor and dig in deep! ~ Steve Schnee