As a follow-up to their debut 2012 LP, San Diego trio The Shifty Eyed Dogs is giving another bold taste of their brand of blues-rock through their new self-titled EP. These seven tracks give a generous helping of bluesy riffs, soulful vocals, and story-telling lyrics. Scott Mathiasen, Peter Knochel, and Isaac White are able to produce a rich, broad sound from just the three of them, as each track manages to meld together piano and harmonica along with electric riffs, driving bass, and solid percussion. And though Mathiasen’s vocals don’t have the gravel or deep tone often found in true blues, they fit the Dogs’ sound perfectly and still bring an authentic soulfulness to each song. “Out the Door” opens the EP as a lead track should—simple singable chorus, dirty head-shaking guitar solos, and just the right amount of underlying organ to bathe it all in rootsy blues. “Borrowed Time” comes next and follows in the same vein, but slowing it down a little to really let the riffs and melody sink into your gut. “Heartbreaker” picks up the pace by adding some funk into the mix, followed by “Keep Myself from Crying,” the purest blues ballad on the record, a slow soulful lament. “She Said” and “Hard Case” bring back the rock, but aren’t all that memorable. The closing “Six Feet Down” is the perfect dark introspective encapsulation of the blues, complete with female harmonies. These Dogs continue to find their own shifty ways to prove that the blues are alive and well in SoCal. - Gale Force Productions