Saturday 11 February 2017

Album: Waldorf & Cannon - Old Dogs New Tricks

Waldorf and Cannon Old Dogs New Tricks


Waldorf & Cannon - Rise Up


Info: Waldorf & Cannon are an alternative multi-instrumentalist duo from Derry & Donegal.​ Philip Wallace aka Waldorf plays a Farmer Footdrum kit, Danelectro guitars, Hohner harmonicas and sings. Oisi​n Cannon plays a Danelectro 58 Longhorn bass and sings. Although there are only 2 members, they sound like a full 5/6 piece band​. ​Together they create a unique alt sound heavily laden with stirring harmonies and catchy hooks often sharing and swapping lead vocals during a single song. Influenced by many acts including Pixies, Nirvana, Devo, Fugazi, Link Wray, Little Walter and Beck.

Their debut self recorded album 'Old Dogs New Tricks' was released on the 21st of January, 2017, and is now available on vinyl, cd and for digital download.

Whoosh! So much going on here and so many of my personal favourite sounds are to be heard on Waldorf & Cannon's debut LP Old Dogs New Tricks. Opener 'Rise Up' (above) is like a mad blend of The Velvet Underground, White Denim and Mr. Lou Reed's solo material, it's hectic and it's a hammer-blow of a track that sets the tone for a thoroughly enjoyable journey from the pair.

'Bore You' follows, and the frenetic pace does not abate, chugging bass-lines and a gloriously funky rock chord progression spit out energy and very cool vibes. Third track 'Decipher' veers into Beck's late 90's output, the bridge between Odelay and Midnight Vultures, 'The New Pollution' if you like, with a smack of harder rock sounds, right now I'm very happy. 

Waldorf & Cannon - Decipher

Just when you think you're settling into a certain groove, Waldorf & Cannon throw a spanner in the works that almost makes the album derail such is it's change of course. 'Omit The Logic' is a crushing explosion, Rage Against The Machine with an electronica vocoder, and glam 70's rock vocals, what? Yes! It works, it works so well. After the delightfully mellow and trippy 'Bring You Down', the pair thunder off down the highway with 'Syntax Error', imagine Kraftwerk being cross-pollinated with Bowie ('Suffragette City') and The Rolling Stones, if you can that is.

The album's title-track is another pacey affair, drums to the fore, snapping at your ears and a rolling guitar riff and bass-line, it's like Pavement x 5 tempo, and Nirvana on MTV Unplugged with the volume turned up, it's an insane song that is insanely good. 'End of the Line' digs more into Californian sun-drenched folk-rock, I'm kind of struggling to identify it's familiarity, I know I've heard something like this before, later on the bass recalls Therapy? but that's about the height of it. 

This absolute rollercoaster of an album ends with 'Fightsville', the title betrays any thoughts of a romantic sop appearing on Old Dogs New Tricks, and the duo finish as they began. Hi-octane and intense drumming and rapid guitar playing, punk, รก la New York Dolls after they've sobered up and rediscovered their inner animal and searing solos that squeal, the anarchy leaves you exhausted in a good way. And there I'll have to leave it, more listens are required to fully appreciate the mad experimentation and chaos of this album, and I'm going to enjoy every one of them.


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