Building a Better Me
California-based punk outfit Dogwood hits its stride on its sophomore Tooth & Nail release,Building a Better Me.Resonating a gritty, hardcore sound akin to Slick Shoes and general market counterparts NOFX, Dogwood is anything but tepid.The band self-produced this project, then tapped renowned producer Stephen Egerton (All, Descendants) for the final polish. The result is a cohesive, energetic disc that delivers 16 tracks of catchy melodies, bold lyrics and refreshing bravado.Not surprisingly, there are traces of the bitterness, often found in this genre. In "The Battle of Them vs. Them" the band tackles the subject of innocent people dying during war. "The Good Times" touches on divorce, and "Overexposed" addresses violence on television. But the album also takes the spiritual high road, as several redemptive songs ring true. To wit, standout cut "Mycro" is a soaring praise anthem:"My life has only just begun to praise Your holy name."Frontman Josh Kemble renders Eddie Vedder-like vocals, although Kemble's near-screaming style is much more incendiary. Also noteworthy are Sean Odonnell's deft guitar riffs, Russell Castillo's agility on drums and Jason Harper's steady albeit obscure contribution on bass.Bottom line: Dogwood has generated a rock-solid disc that only gets better with repeated spins. --By David McCreary(c) 2001 CCM Communications, Inc. --From CCM Magazine -- Subscribe Now!