Moon Dogs
Chase Bliss, 2023
8/10
A Minnesota outfit with an affinity for British sounds, Mostly Trees make for a listen that’s heavy on mood and melodic structures that unfolds across 9 well thought out tracks.
“Absorb” begins the listen with a cozy dreaminess that showcases John Nelson’s fluid drumming and Jon Po’s smooth voice with strong attention to atmosphere, and “Fears” follows with a more upbeat delivery of punchy songwriting that benefits much from Joel Korte’s agile guitar playing.
In the middle, the crunchy rock of “Electric Sheep” swirls with rich textures that get a bit firm but certainly aren’t lacking melody, while “Sandstone” embraces some prog-friendly ideas that are as creative as they are memorable and highlight Po’s bass prowess.
“I Don’t Care” and “Lemonade” exit the listen, where the former buzzes with a more intense appeal of alt-rock nods, and the latter finishes on a calm, intimate note of hazy songwriting.
It’s not hard to imagine bands like Travis or The Verve when listening to Moon Dogs, and the multifaceted approach to rock certainly warrants multiple listens.
Travels well with: Richard X. Heyman- 67,000 Miles An Album; Tim Foljahn- I Dreamed A Dream