Second album time for Doghouse Roses as “This Broken Key” brings the welcome opportunity to renew our acquaintance with the musical talents of Iona Macdonald and Paul Tasker. If my recollection serves, it has been some two years since the release of their debut album and it would appear that the time has been spent polishing things right up.
You won’t find a rough edge anywhere in this album as those nicely turned roots influences are applied to songs that hold the wistful appeal of seventies English folk music. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and on songs like “Devil In Me”, Ms Macdonald’s star does indeed shine brightly. Elements of parody do creep in on “The Highwayman” but that was perhaps a commercial decision and can accordingly be forgiven.
It is one of Doghouse Roses’ most unusual assets is their ability to sound relaxed even on up tempo odes to middle age like “Woodstock”. Perhaps it is the way that Mr Tasker’s guitar sits so solidly on the beat that it makes the other instruments almost superfluous or Ms Macdonald’s way of never sounding strained but there are times when I thought they were almost too mannered and it would have good to hear them going at it like there was sweat on their collective brow.
So, all things considered, no real second album problems here for Doghouse Roses as they prove that they can easily do what they do. Their fans will be well pleased with “This Broken Key”. Make no mistake about that.