Pinky Doodle Poodle consists of singer/bassist/guitarist Yuria and lead guitarist/composer George. Aided by session drummers, the duo has produced uncompromising rock since 2008. During their ten-year career, the band has, among other activities, released several albums and toured the US widely. This time JaME is reviewing their latest release, a five-song EP entitled Poodle Boogie.
The boogie poodle listeners will be encountering is not the neatly trimmed star of breed shows but rather a primitive and unkempt beast. In musical terms, it consists of raw riff rock where simple is beautiful and the worth of a piece of music is decided by its impact, rather than its innovation. The average song length on Poodle Boogie is only two and a half minutes, and there is definitely no need to worry about encountering easy pop tunes or soft schlager sentimentalism. The EP is indeed very conscious of and faithful to its own style of expression, which is not an unhealthy attitude at all. After all, fans might remember when AC/DC’s Angus Young himself criticized certain colleagues of his for halfheartedly riding the waves of trendy genres. Why do anything else when you might as well just rock?
Due to the small number of tracks and their short average length, the EP will be over before one even realizes it. It remains a bit questionable whether this kind of release format really serves the kind of music Poodle Boogie contains. If one likes the music, the short EP will likely feel unsatisfying. Then again, remarks like these may be somewhat old-fashioned, since modern music consumers will more likely just add the songs they like to a personal playlist anyway.
Although, it is good to remember that if something is old-fashioned here, then it mirrors the musical expression of Pinky Doodle Poodle. The band's style is familiar from decades ago and their music uses quite exclusively the arsenal of good old rock'n'roll artistry that has remained unchanged from one generation to another. However, the band is not exactly ”retro rock”, if the term is to be understood as imitating the old masters' sounds and expression. Rather, PDP sound quite modern with their heavily overdriven guitars and rough bass tones, and the combination of the two gives their sound a nice personal touch. Their musical style and attitude is a straightforward manifestation of what rock music has been about from its very beginning. This is something that the band's most obvious target group, namely wild and hairy rockers, will certainly appreciate.
Probably the most remarkable trait of PDP's expression is lead singer Yuria's personal singing style, which is quite distinct from the stereotypical husky male voice one would expect to encounter in rock music. As if awkwardly conscious of this deviation from the norm, the vocals on Poodle Boogie are mixed somewhat low. As it happens, the vocals in themselves are not at all as annoying as the fact that one can hear someone singing on the recording but not quite clearly hear what it is that's being sung. Perhaps the band made this decision to emphasize the instrumental power of their music. Be that as it may, the guitars and the bass on the EP are loud. In spite of being heavily overdriven, the tones are clearly distinguishable, making the overall listening experience quite pleasant. Drums keep the rhythm steady from the background, clearly not being allowed to rule the stage. This is fairly understandable, considering that the band's official lineup consists of only two members, neither of whom is a drummer.
Despite the fact that there is no drummer in the band's official lineup, the feeling of a tightly performing live band has been successfully captured on Poodle Boogie. The songs may not be unforgettable in the long run, but at the time of listening they'll very likely get listeners' feet tapping the floor and heads nodding to the intensive rhythms. The most memorable tracks on the EP are Feel The Sensation, with its finely funky hard rock riffing, and the grinding blues rock of Freely. As compositions, none of the tracks really bring anything novel, but that hardly is the point of PDP's music anyway. What is important is the electrifying groove, and that is something Poodle Boogie is definitely not lacking in the least.
To summarize, Poodle Boogie is a fine example of sincere rock music. This release is a safe choice for any fan of energetic contemporary hard rock. On the other hand, the EP doesn't really manage to reveal any side of the band that would make it shine irresistibly above others. However, perhaps it is best not to look at things from such an individualistic viewpoint in the first place. Good rock will always be good rock, and there’s no need to attempt to improve it with superficial peculiarities. If you agree with this, then Poodle Boogie will be right up your alley.
A trailer for Poodle Boogie can be viewed below, and the release can be purchased from Good Charamel Records.
