10 Songs | MR044 | Release Date 2008

The Boondogs abide. For almost a decade, the local pop-rock group's been a study of persistence, releasing new albums about every other year and playing out just enough that their shows always feel long-coming. The central dynamic, too, remains largely unchanged: Lead singers and songwriters and husband and wife Indy Grotto and Jason Weinheimer frame songs (each usually anchors songs alone) as if they're having a conversation, and one that often takes dark turns. But don't mistake persistence for creative sameness. With each album, the 'dogs have built on their formula, which has lately meant albums that deeply deserve an audience beyond Little Rock. Their new record, Take Shelter, a sunnier, bigger sounding rumination on love and loss, easily fits that bill.

- Lindsey Millar / Arkansas Times