(Independent, 2008)

Some albums are growers, others hit you instantly, and some just never come around. Granted, I’m oversimplifying things, but that’s basically how it works. That being the case, where does My God, the Shame, the latest album from The Dress Whites fit? Oddly enough I’m finding it to be a bit of each—a sort of sonic chameleon, if you will, as every time I spin the Toronto-by-way-of-Montreal band’s newest release it hits me in a different fashion.

Upon first listen it’s easy to be drawn in by the hooks on My God, the Shame, but then I get a bit put off by the vocal delivery of lead-singer Denis Woods (think a more nasally Joel Plaskett with a slight, but persistent vibrato). That said, the band’s pop sensibilities blend nicely with a light taste of blues-rock (as on “Two Times the Hurt”) and there’s some definite energy to this release.

To pin it down I’d have to say that the good parts of My God, the Shame remind me of a more flamboyant and pop-oriented Parkas (which reminds me that I really ought to listen that Toronto band more often), while some of the more sugar-sweet numbers (“Spongecake” for instance) fall a bit too far on the side of Del Amitri for my tastes (”Roll to Me,” anyone?). This duality is likely best evidenced by “A Great Assault #8,” a song where “Kashmir”-esque riffage abounds, but Woods insists on filling vocal gaps by doing his best Geddy Lee impression, screaming things like “Go!” and “Yeah!” that pull me out of the otherwise admirable groove completely.

All told, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if The Dress Whites find success, as they’ve definitely got some catchy tunes (“Give Up the Ghost”), but they’ve also got a tendency to come off a bit trite at times. Of course, as I mentioned at the outset of this review, My God, the Shame is a tough album to simply dismiss and I don’t doubt that its hooks and hand-claps will garner them an admirable following.

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Check out a track from My God, the Shame below:

The Dress Whites - Give Up the Ghost

To hear more and find out how you can get a copy of My God, the Shame check out the band’s Myspace page.