The Treatment – “Running With The Dogs”

It doesn’t take an extensive listen to indentify precisely where Cambridge’s The Treatment are coming from.

Their second album Running With The Dogs is an unabashed tribute to all things sleazy and rocking. Unfortunately, whilst showing off their undeniable proficiency in the playing department, the band clings a little too tenaciously to it’s transparent influences and the accompanying cliches of the genre.

Opener ‘I Bleed Rock + Roll‘ is an obvious early example. The sentiment “rock n roll is all I need, it’s my destiny” is a somewhat cringeworthy one that has been exclaimed ad nauseum.

Other boxes are duly ticked as the band points out their unrestrainable desire to party via the Motley Crue-esque ‘Get The Party On‘. Needless to say there is also the token tale of wild women in ‘She’s Too Much‘. ‘Intro/The Outlaw‘ briefly hints at a deviation with its Western inspired acoustic intro before hurtling into what sounds uncannily like Guns N Roses (plagiarised elsewhere on ‘World On Fire’)

Somewhat ironically for a band with clearcut rock n roll proclivities, the standout tracks are the more laidback acoustic numbers. Album highlight ‘Cloud Across The Sun‘ features a jangling strum and emerges as a genuinely sweet dollop of pop rock. More importantly it doesn’t sound overwhelmingly like another band. Tucked away at the back end of the record ‘Unchain My World‘ is in a similar vein. These lighter moments leaves one to ponder that the band may well shine brighter when the distortion pedals are put away.

Lots of people will enjoy ‘Running With The Dogs‘. There is no doubt surrounding The Treatment‘s musical abilities and fans merely looking to enjoy a few bevvies and soak up some loud guitars will emerge gratified. Perhaps as the band progresses they will develop a sound that they can justifiably call their own.

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Gavin Stocker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Outside of Across The Ocean Gavin Stocker writes, records and performs music under the moniker of P Truck.

He can also be found clinging to his youth on a skateboard or wandering aimlessly through the bush.