"This young indie rock trio’s debut LP can be a little rough around the edges (it was recorded and mixed entirely in the member’s various abodes), but it’s hard to deny how fun and engaging these tunes are. Pulling from their favorite college rock bands like Dinosaur Jr and Pavement, Release the Dog blaze through their intricate tunes with a carefree urgency, matching understated vocals to ferocious guitar riffs and winding solos with aplomb. In fact, most of the fun of this record is the sheer exuberance of the group’s fresh-faced arrangements. On the downside, there sonic consistency can be a little overbearing over the course of the album’s run time, I problem that has also plagued some of J. Mascis and company’s middle-period efforts. Fortunately, Release the Dog also has tunes like “Back to the Wind” which reveal the more earnest singer/songwriter side that the louder tunes can often mask that also have the added bonus of providing a breather for an excellent record whose run time can feel a little long. It also, perhaps, suggests how good these guys are at focused songwriting when they put their minds to it, suggesting that the best is yet to come." –Kyle Petersen
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