Straw Dogs - Love and then Hope (Crafty Records) Seattle based; the ‘Dogs’ sound like they’ve been straining at the leash to release their fifth record, Love And Then Hope, upon an unsuspecting world. This five piece outfit, led by songwriter Dave Von Beck, sound strong and focused throughout. The songs, all fourteen of them, are well crafted and solidly performed. Each players understands their role, each capable of adding dynamics to add colour to a particular song. The blocked vocal harmonies recall CSN at times or the Jayhawks at others on their very Americana sounding music. Though much of the material is mid-tempo, a song like “Remember My Garden”, proves the band can vary their style with a plaintive acoustic number. The ‘seeds’ of the garden are used as a metaphor for nurturing a relationship. “Waiting By The Gate”, features some excellent steel playing courtesy of Dan Tyak while Somar Macek’s ethereal harmonies add a poignancy for this pining song of lost love; ‘But it turns out I should have treated you better.’ It’s a pleasure to hear a record with such a natural and organic feel. The swinging “Then Maria”, with a fine cello solo (Phil Hirschi) and vocal interplay, between Dave von Beck and Somar Macek, is a strong number; a tour de force. The Straw Dogs have created a fine, pleasing Americana record. It will be interesting to see if they can break through to a wider audience. (8/10) www.strawdogs.com John Brindle Next