Dogwood
“Matt Aragon”
(Tooth and Nail)

Punk rock, if done right, can rock.

Punk rock bands who aspire to sound only like MxPx and NOFX can get annoying.

Dogwood falls in between, aspiring to some features of both of the above mentioned bands, but still managing to hold an occasional original effect.

For instance, the albums opening track, “1983,” has some brief breakdowns in the middle and kicks around some obscure push-pull methods with its chords.

As the album progresses, it gives way to a more pop-punk edge, featuring some decent soloing and something besides the quick NOFX-influenced drum line.

The band knows how to introduce each song, using various techniques to give each song a strong chapter title, but fails to write an effective piece through each page.

They try some harmonization to some effect, but the vocalist’s voice, nearly midway through the record, starts to get bothersome.

The bass guitar sounds nothing like a traditional bass guitar, but it’s hard to point out exactly how it is different. Perhaps it’s a hint of distortion - perhaps the bass player didn’t plug in his chord to his amp all the way.

Either way, if the band would manage to try something new, play something before listening to every other punk rock band for influence, it just might be something.

Then again, maybe not.