Tumbleweed EP. Showdog

With a great new song of No Ninja Am I on this blog only weeks ago, I was surprised to receive an email announcing more new music. This time of a duo called Showdog. The five song EP was made by No Ninja Am I and, mostly live collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Gijs Kerkhoven. Together with drummer Jeroen Theunissen, they formed Showdog and released two records between 2007 and 2009. Things went silent after Theunissen emigrated and that seemed the end of Showdog. In recent years the two remaining members started to exchange new ideas once again and here is the result.

Tumbleweed shows an electronic, psychedelic and a rocking in a U.S. style side of itself. At heart the (harmony) singing is leading in most songs. Van Munster and Kerkhoven sing in a great way together. A lot of work must have gone into the layered vocals. They come forward in a direct way and sound beautiful. Usually I do not start with the final song of an album. To prove my point, I do today. This dreamy song is simply perfect. Kerkhoven's lonely violin puts the icing on the cake. 'Wash Away' is a song everyone with a love for circa 1970s harmonies, mixed with more modern sounds and recording techniques, should listen to.

These slow harmonies are only one side of Showdog. The duo shows a more experimental side to their music as well. The title song is a far darker affair, with a less obvious rhythm, dark guitars and electronic atmospheric sounds, underneath harmony singing and softer interludes with notes played on an acoustic guitar and electric piano. 'Curtains' is a more traditional song, not without its surprises along the way. Showdog obviously was not content with just one idea in a song. It contains a light sheen of psychedelia that makes the song appear a little spooky, while at the same time through the rhythm remains fully grounded. I can marvel at the little sounds coming in and going out of the song almost randomly.

Every next song comes with a surprise in its own way. The dreamy start of 'Self-sustaining', almost ambient or triphop, sounds so different once again, while it has a link to the just as dreamy 'Wash Away' as well. 'Fill The Fields With Bees And Butterflies' is the most rocking song on Tumbleweed. With a soft, modest but clear hint at Neil Young style rock, Showdog covers the rhythm rock guitar with CSN(Y) style singing and melodies. All together another song that attracts and puzzles me. Again, so different (puzzle) and again so nice (attraction).

Showdog presents itself for the first time in 14 years, and how. Gijs and Sander, this tastes like more to me!

Wout de Natris