Sick Puppies
Dressed Up As Life

THE REVIEW

The Sick Puppies are Shimon Moore (vocals and guitar), Emma Anzai (bass), and Mark Goodwin (drums), an Australian band that is almost unknown in Italy, but is having decent success in the United States. I discovered them, like many who know them, through "All the Same" — a song that served as the background for the famous "free hugs" video on YouTube.

"Dressed Up As Life" is their second album. An album of pure traditional rock style. It opens with "My World", which perfectly introduces the style of the Australian band. It's one of the best songs on the album, from which a video was also made, featuring a nice guitar solo at the end. It continues with "Pitiful" and "Cancer", two blatantly rocking songs. "What Are You Looking For" is the first of the three rock ballads, presenting very impactful melodic lines. The fifth track is "Deliverance", where you can hear the distortions of Emma Anzai, nicknamed "the female Flea". It's an exaggerated comparison, but it is definitely unusual to see a girl so skilled on bass, a true rarity in this genre of music. If you are prone to tears, now is the time to arm yourself with tissues: the sixth track is the splendid "All the Same", the second ballad, where Moore's voice is beautifully accompanied by the acoustic guitar. A true power song that would be perfect as the soundtrack of a tear-jerking romantic movie. And still for the romantics, the album continues with "Too Many Words", a beautiful song with a melody similar to the previous one, very delicate until the other instruments come into play, revolving around the melody, unleashing an accelerated riff, and ending in a crescendo.

The eighth track is "Howard's Tale", a mix of blues and alternative rock. Listening to "Asshole Father", the ninth track, feels like listening again to "Too Many Words"; a formula repeated far too many times within the album, becoming too predictable. "Issues" is instead the hardest song, a blazing pure hard rock. The penultimate track is "Anywhere But Here", a song that could have easily been left out, as it adds nothing new to the album. And finally, for those who love rock with a capital R, comes "The Bottom" which summarizes the band's energetic and immediate style.

All in all, I absolutely recommend this well-played rock album. The excellent alternation between moments of calm and pure rock energy is the fundamental characteristic of this CD, which is enjoyable from the first to the last minute.

This is my first review, I gladly accept criticisms and suggestions.
Review by Davide Di Franco