Doc's East of West, Well Dressed Folk

In this inaugural post of ‘Bull’s Best Blog’ I will be reviewing House of Doc's newest CD,”East of West”. It is a well crafted effort of pristine modern Folk/Roots music put together by a tight-knit group of musicians, who in this bloggers opinion have a great future in the ever-expanding Roots market.

At once the listener is taken in by the first track, ‘Rain Before the Fall’. It is lushly layered with the usual folk instruments and the Docs’ trademark harmonies. The electric guitar, bowed bass fiddle and Hammond B3 serve to add a depth of musicality I did not expect when I was unwrapping the CD.

The Docs are breaking new ground here; they even play with some odd meters and time signatures, which to me shows a tip-of-the-hat to Jazz, and even (dare I say it?) Prog Rock. They do it without being lost in an existential world that only the initiated appreciate.

There is some fine songwriting and production displayed here. There is a most telling YouTube video of the Docs and their producer laying bed tracks for the opening song. It is obvious that their music is very serious business; every chord, beat and harmony is getting careful attention from all involved. It would appear that blood sweat and tears went into making this CD and I am guessing there were quite a few laughs along the way. They seem to have a light hearted side as well, and this is brought forth with tracks like Buzzin' Bee and their cover of The Stampeders ‘Sweet City Woman’. They have shown great care and attention in their version of Sweet City Woman and have made it their own, kept it fun, and didn’t mess with a Canadian classic.

‘Buzzin' Bee’ also showed the fun and up-tempo side of the Docs and showed that Matthew Harder is quite a mofo on an electric guitar. Truly the Docs may first and foremost be singers, but they are all excellent players as well; it doesn't take much listening to hear that they all know their instruments. It is also evident that they are far more than three-chord Folkies, out to protest the latest human crisis.

On the deeper side of House of Doc’s material, it is very clear that family, love and human connections are very important to them. ‘Lullaby’ is a powerful song that shows how profound the connections to our elders can be, and how important it is to care for them in their frailty. The sentiment is deep and sincere, and I think that's a statement that can nearly sum up House of Doc. There are no flashy gimmicks, pyrotechnics, or posturing by them. They write and perform from the heart.

Of course beyond classifying this CD as Folk/Roots, it could also be put into the Gospel category. Now, as a hardcore Atheist I am prone to wince at references to the Lord in lyrics. But with an open mind and open ears the joy of what they are trying to convey comes through. They are very good musical communicators, and to their credit they are not afraid to speak what’s on their mind or in their heart.On the whole, House of Doc's ‘East of West’ is a lush and layered album, and it is well worth the time to listen to. All members of the group push the limits of their abilities; the vocal harmonies are smooth and inviting, the musicianship is superb, and the songwriting is good --showing promise of a great future. The musical universe is expanding for House of Doc. Matthew, Dan, Rebecca, Jesse, and their producer Vince Ditrich (Spirit of the West), have made a very, very good album, that appealed to me greatly, and will be listened to many more times here at the ranch.

In my rating system (which I have randomly chosen to display how much I enjoy a CD) I give it 4 out of 5 Bulls!