Blakey’s thick drawl is upfront from the start — if one can’t hack that, listening is probably not recommended — while Bryant’s own more strained, slightly desperate tones made for a good contrast song for song. Musically, the group could hit both the high lonesome and charging rock levels just right, along with plenty of points in between. At the band’s best, it easily equals the likes of forebears like Gram Parsons, alternating between restrained emotion and heavier stuff that calls to mind prime Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

(click here to purchase “The Day The Dogs Took Over” on iTunes.