Them Hounds

If there’s one defining characteristic of modern blues rock, it’s that the songs often are constructed around the band’s instrumental strengths.


Given the parameters of what actually constitutes the blues, it’s easy to see why: There just aren’t that many variations of the genre’s 12-bar framework that retain that “bluesy feel.”

Instead, its divergences usually come in the form of vocal variance and guitar solos, and Them Hounds thrive within these confines.

Two things immediately jump out at you on the Oklahoma City quartet’s self-titled debut album: Erin Ames has a voice tailor-made for rock ’n’ roll and guitarist Michael Franklin sure can pound out a Zeppelin riff. These cats (er, hounds) know how to rock out, and they do so with regularity.

Opening track “Out the Window” unfurls in a way that embodies the very fiber of contemporary blues rock, mimicking some of its more illustrious mainstays (Wolfmother, Band of Skulls). “The Fix,” meanwhile, finds a staccato rhythm giving way to a soaring bridge/chorus release, a formula that’s successfully rocked arenas for decades.

That said, moments like these almost sound too easy for the band. You nearly wish Them Hounds would branch out to challenge themselves a bit more. Once the group frees itself from the limitations of genre, no telling how far it — and Ames’ howl — will go.

In this sense, Them Hounds is less of a career-defining statement and more a glimpse of potential — and boy, do they have lots of it. —Zach Hale - Oklahoma Gazette

After hammering out their sound since forming in August of 2011, OKC psychedelic blues-rock quartet Them Hounds are on track to have 2013 be their year: their 11-track self-titled debut LP dropped in March, and their furious tour schedule since included crowd-shaking sets on all three nights of Norman Music Festival in April. A jangly, growling Kills-style bass line introduces the opener "Out the Window," with a kaleidoscope of styles to follow: a wild fuzz-rock guitar solo in "Bad News," trippy, layered echoes forming "The Void," the lonely, sparse twang of "Sleepwalking," all woven around the rippling, Sleater-Kinney-esque vocals (that's a compliment) of lead singer Erin Ames. To get a free listen to the LP or purchase a download, search for "Them Hounds" on Facebook-- as Ames snarls on "Death Howl," come on and get you some.

- SLICE Magazine Oklahoma

Them Hounds classify themselves as a psychedelic blues rock band and that's as close to true as anything I suppose. There is a high percentage of vintage rock n' roll on the album, music that would likely have found its way to the radio in a more rock friendly age like the 70s. Blues rock has a heavy influence and position on this album, as well as psychedelic trips through wah wah and beyond. A little bit of funk finds it way in there as well, and while there may be a tiny hint of the country roots of Oklahoma floating around in there somewhere, it's not noticeable enough to detract from the impressive and incredible quality of the eleven tracks laid down for their debut.

The first thing that strikes the listener on "Them Hounds" is likely the crystal clear power pulse of Erin's vocals. Not since I first heard Corin Tucker's delicious screech have I come across majestic power of a similar fashion. While it has been said, even by me, that she reminds of Corin, a little time spent (which is time well spent) on "Them Hounds", becoming familiar with Erin's singular vocal expressions, will quickly discern the distinction she displays when generating her dulcet wallop. Her sound is her own and it is incredible. She displays power and grace, a rare and cherished combination because it exemplifies perfectly what rock n' roll is supposed to be, power and grace and all out expression, something she delivers with skill, grace, and abandonment.

The next thing that becomes quite distinct when listening to this dynamic debut is the guitar work on every song throughout the album. While the band may not classify themselves as a stoner band, Ward administers massive doses of distortion and fuzz while nimbly executing lick upon riff in veins of the blues, funk, and psychedelica. Enormous in scope, compelling in production, nimble in revelation, and blissful in totality this is a rock guitar lover's nirvana.

Not to be outdone by Ben, Jon Bohlen has put together an impressive display of thick string plucking, producing memorable and contagious bass licks that rise above the mere metronomic measures of cadence and rhythm while never abandoning such. This is an incredible feat of skill and a demonstration of unbridled joy.

Exceeding in enthusiasm, energy, and exertion is the rhythmic, tribal ministrations of Cougill's drumwork, much the same as his rhythmic compatriot, stepping outside the bounds of true center and displaying rills and runs of ridiculous abandon, complementing the music perfectly and adding to its overall superbly wrought quality.

Whether playing haunting, blues heavy, big bass songs such as "Death Howl", "Willy Tre", or "The Kill",
or full out stoner distortion on "Out the Window", or the kick ass rock romp of "Bad News" and "Black Lilies", or even the instrumental "The Void" where the gentlemen get to display their prodigious skill with richly textured riffs laid in upon layers of sound and melody, Them Hounds have crafted a moment in time worthy to treasure for eternity. It screams loudly to me to include in year end possibilities where the brightest, richest treasures of the year get revisited.
- Heavy Planet