For those people who are familiar with the style of music known as post-rock, your opinions on it may vary significantly. However, regardless of whether you consider post-rock to be intelligent, thought-provoking music or nothing but pretentious, arty-farty noise, there’s no denying that it’s an interesting and often underrated genre. Although the likes of Mogwai and Sigur Ros have carried the flag for a number of years, post-rock has rarely left the confines of the avant-garde. It has even struggled to compete within today’s indie community, which frequently claims to crave new and exciting music while continuing to recycle the same old stuff year after year.
Seemingly picking up from where aforementioned Icelanders Sigur Ros left off, Wild Dogs in Winter are taking the reins of the post-rock genre to release their debut album ‘Homba’. You may be pleased to hear that it’s an enjoyably captivating effort.
‘Homba’ is a collection of ten tracks that flow almost seamlessly from beginning to end in a kind of haunting and occasionally trippy, atmospheric haze. Throughout the experimental tone of the album, runs a continuous theme of folk music ambience that collides spectacularly with the electronic effects and loops that provide an extra layer of psychedelia to the proceedings.
Unlike many post-rock compositions in the past, Wild Dogs… employ a mellow but dramatic vocal style in the form of their frontman Rhys Baker. Baker’s voice drifts into the music calmly while adding an otherwise sombre texture to the band’s sound. Although ‘Homba’ could probably be described as a chill-out album of sorts, it frequently becomes almost nightmarish in its intensity and mood.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of the album is the band’s frequent use of a distant drumming technique that adds further perspective to the already textured soundscape. The influence of other post-rock artists is present on several tracks, where the slow-paced guitar music builds into a distorted, crashing climax.
There are a few moments on the album where it feels as though the band are going to redirect themselves from the dark and sombre mood of the songs into something a bit more lively, but it never quite gets there. Not that this is by any means a lifeless record, but some parts certainly seem much more uplifting than others.
‘Homba’ comes to an end with ten-minute epic ‘The Butcher’ and its fitting follower ‘The Butcher’s Wife’, which is probably the closest thing here to a traditional indie-rock song, bringing the album to a suitable close. Wild Dogs in Winter have clearly followed in the footsteps of some of their post-rock peers while managing to create a folk-inspired style of their own, making this an alternative music triumph. Their sound may even earn them some deserved appreciation along the way, although it may still baffle the indie kids.
Stereoboard Rating: 7/10
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Seemingly picking up from where aforementioned Icelanders Sigur Ros left off, Wild Dogs in Winter are taking the reins of the post-rock genre to release their debut album ‘Homba’. You may be pleased to hear that it’s an enjoyably captivating effort. 
