Reviewed by Peter Bate

Take four of America’s finest songwriters, lock them in a room together and what do you get? A huge ego explosion, or, alternatively, The Lost Dogs. Unlike most extra-curricular rock collaborations, Gene Eugene, Terry Taylor, Derri Daugherty and Mike Roe’s regular rendezvous have resulted in some of the finest work they have ever produced. While their individual bands (Adam Again, Daniel Amos, The Choir and The 77s respectively) have been relatively quiet in recent years, The Dogs have reeled out three LPs since 1992 and a fourth, ‘Gift Horse’, should be on sale in the UK by the time you read this. Their first two, ‘Scenic Routes’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, are plundered heavily here. Though there’s not a dud in sight, peaks included the poignant REM-ish rock of “Imagine That”, acoustic ballads “Jimmy” and “Dunce Cap”, plus driving roots numbers “Pray Where You Are” and “Scenic Routes”. Completeists get a live version of “Built For Glory” and the previously unheard “Make Believe”, while the all-embracing anthem “Breathe Deep” closes a fine collection which oozes lazy artistic brilliance and floors the listener with its grasp of God’s grace.

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