MEN WITHOUT HATS, “Blow At High Dough”
It’s a bold move, but 80’s Quebec pop group Men Without Hats, who have been back recording and touring during the last 10 years, have a strong new offering with their apt, often reverent cover of The Tragically Hip’s 1990 rocker “Blow At High Dough”, one of my favourites from that classic Canadian band. And “The Safety Dance” creator Ivan Doroschuk doesn’t opt for novelty either, taking cues from europop contemporaries like Depeche Mode and particularly Pet Shop Boys to transform “Blow At High Dough” into a rock-flavoured synthpop. Ivan’s striking vocal captures the late Gord Downie’s intensity, and the rock guitars and slick synths form a tasty mix. “Blow At High Dough” appears on the 5 song EP Men Without Hats Again (Pt. 1), which also includes a rework of “The Safety Dance” called “No Friends Of Mine”, plus covers of song originally recorded by Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, and Mott The Hoople. The EP appears in advance of what is likely to be a full album (Pt. 2) of originals.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 