Gévaudan Dogs – The Is The Sound Of….

Gévaudan Dogs are West Yorkshire’s new band on the block, although the members are far from novices when it comes to the local scene, if you know of the Yalla Yallas then Will Grinder’s Guitar would have wowed you, Vince Cayo’s Bass will have been so memorable, from Nervous Twitch Drummer Ashley Goodall has a sound that is never forgotten, and then we have the new and wonderfully talented Liz Lethal, all together they make a sound that has connotations of Social Distortion, Stiff Little Fingers with added Eddie Cochran for good measure, a punk sound that takes it all the way back to the bones of why we love it so much.  

Formed as recently as 2022 and already able to throw this lovingly put together eleven track album, is on its own by the way of amazing, yet this is far from a rushed effort, its a tasty morsel that by first listen has already got this old school punk lover drooling with excitement at what the future holds. If you know of the history of, or story behind the name “Gévauden Dogs”, then it will come as no surprise that this is a band that comes with killer music and legendary status already in the making, does this album live up to all that hype?, well yes it fucking well does, and more.  

Pressing play and off we go, ’32 Minutes’ hits the head like a Rock n Roll pile driver, the vocal has a Mike Ness incarnate sound, the lead and rhythm guitars together are as close to heaven as you’ll ever get in an opening track, to add to the euphoria that a true music fan gets here, the whole rhythm of this track and everything that follows is just ridiculously raw and wonderful. If you like your music to lift the soul and have a beating heart of the streets, then you’re onto a winner here.  

Lyrically you’re never too far away from real life, the fight against inequality and social wrong doing, its a place of values and looking at what being alive is all about.  ‘Kindred Kind’ says so much about how family and likemindedness means so much as well as having you singing along in no time at all, ‘The Ghost Of Dean Moriarty’ is a song that encompasses the flame of youth and the rebel in all of us, it shows off some mad Bass and guitar skills from Will and Liz and has all the energy you can shake a stick at.

Every inch of this album has something more to give than just music, it oozes stories and life, it fights, it rails against and it shows compassion.  ‘A Las Barricadas (To The Barricades)’ is one of two covers on the album, a song of anti-fascism and anarchist values from the Spanish civil war, but done here as an instrumental it still holds that fire, kinda feels perfect in here too.  One of the many stand outs follows ‘Dirty Water Of The Aire’ is a Dylan/Macgowan esque song, its heart felt lyrics are of Leeds, its youth, the desperation, the growing up with nothing more than your pride, and the sense of belonging.  

This is an album that explodes out of every corner, its never  just gonna be another spot on the playlist, it’s right there at the top of the pile. With songs that live and breath Rock n Roll, played and sung by some of the best musicians you could ever conjure up.  ‘Broken English’  is possibly the most recognisable song on this album in its style, very The Clash, catchy and with a chorus that will have young singing it all day long (love the Yorkshire twang in the vocal),  ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Poor’ is a simply a banger of a tune!, and to end with a brilliantly lifted to heights electric instrumental version of the Celtic classic ‘Dunmore Lasses’ is both brave and clever all at once.

It might be early days, but “album of the year”, well it’ll take some beating.  

A band and album that needs and deserves to be up there on your wish list.

Music as good as this doesn’t come along that often, take it for a spin and dance yourself dizzy!

Released on March 23rd, check out the bands FACEBOOK to pre-order your copy.

Bandcamp is good too