Columbia indie rockers Release the Dog worked hard and for a long time on their new album “More Excuses,” and after the first listen, I realized how much it had paid off. It’s one of the best guitar rock albums of the year out of the state; both playful and well thought out, the guitars cut through and are really one of the highlights of the album. Singer and guitarist Ross Swinson sounds better than ever on “More Excuses,” comfortable in his voice that flows with ease. I think a lot about signature style and tones, and when it comes to local bands, Swinson’s always comes to mind. He lends that tone to several other local bands, primarily Barnwell in addition to his main project Release the Dog. They’ve stayed mostly silent for the last year, hunkered down working on this album. It turned out so great, that I imagine things will start to pick up for the band over the next couple of months.
They’ll celebrate the release of their new album Friday, Sept 2nd at New Brookland Tavern, on a solid bill that includes Dempsey, The Ugly Chords, and The Fishing Journal.