U Sousedů Vyje Pes / U Sousedu Vyje Pes

Psí Vojáci had put the bar pretty high with the 1999 CD Mysi v Poli a Jiné Pribehy. If the follow-up U Sousedu Vyje Pes follows the same format, it doesn't quite match the intensity and charm of its predecessor. The group presents itself this time as a saxophone-less trio. Filip Topol sticks to the familiar piano. At times he lacks determination or stamina, sounding like he's only going through the motions. The album contains a few stellar tracks nonetheless, like the slow-paced "O Prímerí," just a bit overlong at nine minutes, although the singer's delicate vocals compensate for the duration. "2.2." is the memorable song here, straightforward without being simplistic, well played with bassist Ludek Horky intensifying his presence. The obligatory instrumental piece (the two-part "Malá Smutecní Hudba" is a strong romantic number, particularly efficient in its "largo" movement. But the last third of the album goes downhill, weaker and lackluster. The slow tempos and generic melodies sound like variations on the Psí Vojáci archetype. They still have their moments ("O Noci" in particular) but get uncomfortably close to self-plagiarizing. This is a good, average album. ~ François Couture, Rovi