The Sheepdogs have long been one of our favorite modern purveyors of classic, no-nonsense rock. Revivalists, traditionalists, classicists, call them what you will, their music simply works. Their sound is steeped in the timeless records we keep returning to, the kind that never seem to lose their pull. It is a style we cannot get enough of: intricate guitar riffs and solos, analog keyboards, a rhythm section that grooves with purpose, and rich vocal harmonies, all serving finely crafted songs that feel instantly familiar, even when they are brand new. Somewhere between CCR, The Allmans, The Doobies, The Eagles, CS&N (and even Y) and other kindred spirits from the 60s and 70s, The Sheepdogs strike a balance between vintage character and present-day energy. These are sounds that do not grow old.
Their new album Keep Out Of The Storm doesn't stray far from the formula they've established over the last two decades, but they keep refining their approach and sharpening their songwriting. Even then, it's not exactly business as usual for The Sheepdogs: Keep Out Of The Storm is the Canadians' first LP with guitarist Ricky Paquette who joined in 2022 after Jimmy Bowskill left. His incisive, hard hitting style injects a more rock n' roll presence to the band's music. The album was also the first recording without founding Sam Corbett, whose role is filled by several close friends of the band who came in to lend a hand.
The Sheepdogs are of course most famous for their vintage rockers and on Keep Out Of The Storm, the band delivers more future classics: "All I Wanna Do" is a straight up Southern hard rock jam with Skynyrd-style riffs, gutsy solos and a mean ol' Fender Rhodes. "Bad For Your Health" is a sticky stoner rock chug with fuzzed-out guitars and a psychedelic Hammond. Think "Spirit In The Sky" by way of Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly or Grand Funk.
But even more than on previous albums, The Sheepdogs also expand on their core sound: the title track is like Tom Petty meets The Cars, American pub-rock and new wave all wrapped up in a in a hard rocking package, while "I Do"conjures the ghosts of Thin Lizzy and Big Star. Even when broadening their palette, it still sounds unmistakably like The Sheepdogs. No matter the guises that dress up the songs, the songwriting itself remains distinctly theirs: the band found its style long ago. Ewan Currie’s voice, of course, is also uniquely his. He's also the one who handles production: he has the vision, the goals, and the references, and he knows what works for the band, so why outsource?
Most of the songs are short and to the point. There are no real epics here, just chiseled tunes with no ounce of fat on them, sometimes to a fault: "Take A Look At Me Riding", with its slow, hazy groove reminiscent of JJ Cale and its lysergic pulse and elongated guitar notes ringing against the horns, would have benefited from a longer running time. Similarly, album closer "Out All Night" ends too quickly. It's an anthem in the vein of "Sweet Home Alabama", grinding forward like a locomotive, with a chorus you'll be yelling in your head for a week. Restraint is admirable, but the standard southern coda crescendo of instrumental frenzy that wraps up the track just begs to be stretched out. Hopefully, they will do so when they play the Trabendo in Paris on Dec. 9, 2026!
That said, when The Sheepdogs decide to cook, they do so with gasoline: "Nobody But You" boasts two guitar solos, one of which showcases Ricky Paquette's incendiary slide guitar work. Shamus Currie's clavinet on "Play It All Night Long" and the instrumental call-and-response in the middle of the track, which sounds like a 2026 update of "Up On Cripple Creek," highlight the musical interplay between all the musicians. That sonic chemistry only happens when everyone's instincts and intentions are aligned... Late-night jams on the tour bus... Keeping your bandmates on their toes during an ad-lib in front of a packed house...
There are quite a few excellent albums that are purposely confrontational. This is not one of them. This album sounds warm and inviting. It sounds like friendship. Like kids in a tree-house reading comics in the summer. High school buddies in a basement with a lava lamp and a pile of vinyl. Practicing "Hey Joe" on your first guitar with your bandmates in a garage. Getting to second base after school, before your parents get home. The universal, experienced though a personal, even intimate lens. Like our lives, cosmic and puny all at once. Crucial and laughable. Essential.
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The Sheepdogs @ Olympia, Paris - October 15th, 2023
The Sheepdogs @ la Maroquinerie, Paris - June 18th, 2022
The Sheepdogs @ Point Éphémère, Paris - June 12th, 2019
