Always go and see the support. If I hadn’t got there early for Blackberry Smoke all those years ago, I wouldn’t have clocked just how good The Sheepdogs actually are. No hype, no fuss — just a band quietly making really good music. That same feel runs all the way through “Keep Out Of The Storm”.
“Nobody But You” is worth flagging precisely because it doesn’t sound modern. In 2026, that’s the point. This is timeless stuff, the kind of song that could have turned up at almost any point over the last few decades and felt completely at home.
The title track “Keep Out Of The Storm” gives off proper Tom Petty energy — relaxed but resolute — and when the chorus hits, it does so with real rock chords and real conviction.
Anything that sounds as much like Thin Lizzy as “I Do” is always getting my vote. Melody first, twin-guitar warmth baked in, and not an ounce of self-consciousness about it.
“Playing All Night Long” feels road-ready. You hope they mean the band on the road, but who knows. What’s certain is that this one is honky-tonk ready, built for late nights and ringing ears.
“Take A Look At Me Riding” is more lugubrious and world-weary than what surrounds it, and the brass leans into that mood rather than trying to brighten it up.
“All I Wanna Do” keeps things light. “All I wanna do is spend my time getting loaded in bed with you.” Sound — but can we stop for muesli?
There’s a pleasing chug to “Bad For Your Health”, while “Breezy” finally makes it impossible to dodge the comparison any longer. If you’ve held off talking about The Allman Brothers until now, you can’t any further.
“The Owl” spreads its wings and floats. It’s the seductive one here, subtle rather than showy, pulling you in without forcing the point.
The brass section is back on “The Yellow Line”, with the whole band to the fore on a confident instrumental stretch. And then the 70s groove returns in full on “Out All Night”, where you damn well know there’s trouble coming. The lead work suggests they’re happy to go looking for it, and the gear change at the end is perfect.
Frontman Ewan Currie explains:
“The twin pillars of love and rock’n’roll come together here in a pure expression of musical bliss. It’s the sound of windows down in your Trans-Am at the end of a workday, the optimism of a long weekend on the horizon.”
All of that — and more — makes one thing clear: there’s a storm coming. The Sheepdogs aren’t warning you away from it. They’re inviting you straight into the middle.
RATING 9/10
