Sam Cash & the Romantic Dogs

When young T.O. roots-rocker Sam Cash released promising debut Teenage Hunger a couple of years ago, plenty of attention was paid to his pedigree (son of Andrew, nephew of Peter) and the star-studded cast of guests (Hayden, Bahamas, Serena Ryder, etc.). Smartly, he cuts down on the guest factor, delivering the goods with his band, the Romantic Dogs. Cash terms his group and their sound "loud and scrappy," and this record lives up to that billing nicely. It was recorded in a couple of days at the famed Gas Station (engineering duties were shared by Dale Morningstar and Dogs guitarist Matt Bailey), and it has a bracing, youthful exuberance. No longer a teenager, Cash still sounds hungry, but in a good way. Clearly more self-aware than the average 20-year-old, he writes songs that are candid reflections on life and love, sporting a strong sense of melody, as on the whistling-inflected "Fall Together." Comparison points might include early Elvis Costello or the Lowest of the Low, but he can clearly stand alone as an impressive young talent.