| Musical Style: Blues Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Roxx Records | Country Of Origin: New Zealand & USA |
| Year Released: 2024 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 15 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: 59:26 |
The April of 2024 Roxx Records third Dale Thompson & The Boon Dogs album Unfinished Business has the blues rock basics down. Walking bass presence? Yep. Dissonant harmonies? Got it. Grainy slide guitar? Of course. Gravelly mid-ranged vocals. No doubt. The album follows a similar musical pattern as the groups 2021 Girder Music debut Metal Blues and sophomore effort I See Red from 2022 (also Girder). In other words, I see Unfinished Business appealing to those whose tastes trend towards Glenn Kaiser Band, Stevie & The Saints, Darrell Mansfield, Greg Chaisson, Sign of Jonah and Big Chris & D'Bare Bones Band.
As for the ‘Boon Dogs’ side of things, it traces to founding members vocalist Dale Thompson, bassist Greg Campbell and keyboardist Graham Carruthers. Thompson requires little introduction as front man of Christian metal/hard rock veterans Bride, albeit his side projects The World Will Burn, Perpetual Paranoia, The Reconciled, The Thomas Thompson Earth Project, Sovereign Cross and Dabster Gentlemen prove no less able. Campbell in addition to playing fretted and fretless bass, guitar, ukulele and drums, was one of the finalists in the Bass Player Magazine’s 1994 Bill Sheehan scholarship contest and is a key volunteer staff member of the annual Bozeman Bass Bash. Carruthers is also involved with Thompson in Dabster Gentlemen, having participated on the groups 2021 EP Fire In The Sky and full length offerings Veneration 1 and Transmissions From The Shed from 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Opener “Jacob Dug The Well” is first of what in my opinion are four great songs on the album that equals if not exceeds the better material on its two predecessors. Song slowly fades in to introspective slide guitar while gradually shuffling ahead to intermittent piano, chanted Gospel style choirs and Campbell’s lively bass. When further factoring its rousing melody, “Jacob Dug The Well” is certain to remain with you for some time. Lyric snippet:
I am an eagle set free of the gilded cage that imprisoned me
I have clarity
Redeemed innocence in the face of tragedy
The mirror reflects the integrity of the Spirit dwelling in me
Before the foundations of the world, I was raised with Him
I believe what God believes about us
His faith defines my life
By the skin of my teeth, by the blood of the Lamb
Lord, steady my feet of clay, salvation is today
Likewise, “Town Where No Man Got Off” but heavier in accenting a rhythm guitar edge approaching hard rock but with airy acoustic themes decorating the backend. Upshot is a pensive cut with a darker, emotional tincture that stays true to the mid-paced themes. Also in similar fashion are big doses of creative melody that allow the song to remain a fresh listen its five-minute span. Lyric snippet:
One train stops a day, no one very gets off
But that day a stranger comes to town
The stranger got off the train, but I wasn’t the one
You thought I had a gun so this midnight
Passenger got back on West bound
Your face blindly frozen
Toward the East 100 years old
Maintaining the heavier themes in the five-minute range is “Take Up Your Bed. It also traverses the swarthy but more upbeat, as lively bass lending an ominous rumble and stirred up rhythm guitar hinting of Glenn Kaiser Band combine to bolster one of albums most profound melodies. Line notes might not provide specific attribution to lead guitar, but it proves ably done in speaking of the mournful. Lyrics snippet:
Prophetic pools of Bethseda
Waiting for stirring of the water
At the Prophetic pools of Bethseda
(I am what I am by the grace of God)
No Man to help him in, rivers of Living Water
Prophetic pools of Bethseda
Jesus said, take up your bed and walk…
“I Feel Haunted” represents a superlative blues drenched ballad. It exudes preeminent melody its six minute, give prominence to an anthem like allure as Thompson stretches and unveils the full breadth to his earthy vocal abilities but also the eerie with hints of violin building upon the pensive themes. Again, the melody drive emotion commands as does hinting of heavier rocking rhythm guitar. Lyric snippet:
Oh, how I pray, I feel sick in my heart
And my memory is failing me
I am living in darkness life those
Who dies long time ago
I call Your name from the deepest pit
Lord, pleas my case for me, reclaim my life
No one passes through its gates
A slight step down is seven songs I place in the good to very good category. Two of my favorites include heavier cuts “Millstone”, a plodding three minute piece imbued with decisive rhythm guitar and 70’s style organ, and “Great Day In History”, also on the slower side with a slugging low end and guitars pointing to hard rock. Inherent to the pair is ably done lead guitar with a moving feel (again, I wish liner notes provided accreditation to individual performers).
Every bit notable are groove driven blues rockers “Patience Of Job” and “Your Will Be Done”. Each is home to funky guitars, expansive bass and Carruthers pleasing keyboards, which combine to underline the subtle hooks to draw in. Latter is home to a cool horn section and former some of albums heaviest guitar signatures.
On the lighter side is “John The Revelator” with its pensive, bottom heavy feel in which lower register vocals define the introspective scene and “Nehemiah’s Wall” from touching upon AOR with its brightly airy feel in mirroring a folk like tone as Thompson manifests a Dylan-ish feel to his delivery. Finally, “I Plead The Blood” is a very finely done acoustic and fiddle laced instrumental intrinsic to vibrant melody and wistful moodiness. It also features some of albums finer lyrics:
Narrow is the road
My path is straight
Cast out that evil one
I release the voice inside of me
I plead the blood
Every drop He bled, He bled for me, He bled for me
I plead the blood
Problem with Unfinished Business, however, is it suffers from track list bloat due to four addition songs to bring the total to a difficult to swallow fifteen. Any album with such abundance of material in my opinion is going to include some chaff, and such is the case with Unfinished Business in that I find myself skipping over the final four in question.
In terms of specifics, “Blood Of The Lamb (mirthful in upbeat fashion) and “Awake & Sing” (lively with chanted vocal melodies) come across a bit plain for my taste from sticking to a traditional blues formula to fault. “Error Of Balaam” is not bad - I take to the Norman influenced vocals - but I find it somewhat offbeat (noting the honky-tonk piano), while “Psalm 91” stretches for a Country Western flair that is way outside my musical boundaries.
Best way to summarize would be to state if the group had cut Unfinished Business by four songs to result in a more efficient track listing of 11, I would apply the same 80% grade as its predecessors. Otherwise, those into blues-rock with a (mostly) heavier rocking edge are certain to take to the third Dale Thompson & The Boon Dogs album, noting the previously referenced artists in the first paragraph. Thompson as always remains in fine form vocally, while Campbell matches him in terms of his creative bass work and Carruthers with his accenting keyboards. Lending further value is the plethora of guest guitarists.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Jacob Dug the Well” (4:45), “Blood Of The Lamb” (3:40), “Town Where No Man Got Off” (5:00), “I Plead The Blood” (5:01), “Great Day In History” (4:07), “Awake And Sing” (4:10), “Take Up Your Bed” (5:35), “Patience Of Job” (2:47), “Millstone” (3:40), “Error Of Balaam” (3:01), “John The Revelator” (2:43), “Nehemiah’s Wall” (3:30), “Psalm 91” (2:52), “I Feel Haunted” (5:46),“Your Will Be Done” (3:14)
Musicians
Dale Thompson - Lead Vocals
Greg Campbell - Bass
Austin Dodig - Drums, Synthesizers, Horns & Guitars
Graham Carruthers - Keyboards
Additional Musicians
Aline Paola - Violin
Skip Phipps, Mike Berk, Daniel O’Conner, Kevin Whale, Aaron Lucas, Derek Ferwerde, Troy Thompson, Greg Bruce, Bruce Campbell & Lawson Zaring - Guitars
