Such is the significance of Kerbdog’s influence that a lot of these covers sound rather effortless – a majority of these artists are heavily in debt to the Irish grunge outfit anyway, meaning that there’s not a huge deal of deviation from the original tracks. Pledge appears to exist to highlight the mammoth impact this band have had on the grungier acts of the new millennium, as opposed to handing the task to artists of a contrasting style and warping the pieces out of recognition.
That said, there’s subtle adjustments and inventive twists scattered throughout that prevent this album sounding like a soulless collection of carbon copies; the sludgy down-tuning of “Schism” by Stations, the cheeky sax solo on Jamie Lenman’s “Mexican Wave”, some slightly ridiculous falsetto backing vox during Ocean Bottom Nightmare’s version of “On The Turn” – there’s a well-judged balance here between showcasing the Kerbdog stamp and allowing the artists to input their own personal tweaks.
A couple of acoustic interpretations break up the beefy overdrive where it feels most necessary – Frank Turner takes “Sally” into a galloping jangle of guitar chords and snare rolls, whilst InMe frontman Dave McPherson provides an intimate acoustic rendition of “J.J’s Song”, blessed with enough vocal strength and character to carry the song for its 5-minute entirety.
Unfortunately, not every singer present on Pledge appears to be capable of doing sufficient justice to the Kerbdog originals. In particular, “Hard To Live” by Dutch Schultz and Knieval Genius’ “Inseminator” both feature vocalists that occasionally become lost in amongst the mass of texture – a flimsy wail in sandwiched between the fierce propulsion of the riffs.
But in all, I’d say these bands have made enough collective effort to do the band proud. It’s a confident demonstration of the fact that, whilst you might be unfamiliar with Kerbdog’s back-catalogue itself, they’re a key influence for more bands and artists than you may initially realise.
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