House of Doc

Listening to House Of Doc’s third album, East Of West, is a lot like being at a family event, you know, the one where Uncle Joe pulls out his guitar after dinner and little Molly stuns her relatives with an angelic voice. There’s just an incredible sense of community felt throughout the record, especially within the warm vocal harmonies produced by the Winnipeg quartet. The communal energy is non-stop right from the get-go, with "Rain Before The Fall” invigorating the group’s funky brand of folk music with country and blues undertones. House Of Doc’s cover of "Sweet City Woman” is nonetheless spirited and "Milk And Cookies” brings you back to the roots of bluegrass. The motto of the album seems to be "Have as much fun as possible,” and with a truism like this, East Of West takes its listeners by the hand, inviting them into the improvisational, don’t-be-afraid-to-sing-your-heart-out atmosphere that only a close-knit family can create.