Jim Moginie and his band The Family Dog returns with Thunk, a raw, analog-driven album born from spontaneity and the unmistakable grit of Australian guitar music.
Speaking from the very room where the record was tracked, Moginie explained to Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips that The Family Dog thrives on collective creation rather than traditional songcraft. Instead of arriving with finished ideas, the band jams live … amps, drums and guitars bleeding into each other, with the songs later shaped through editing rather than overdubbing. It’s a process that preserves what he calls the “hairiness and authenticity” of a real performance, echoing lessons learned from legendary producer Glyn Johns during Midnight Oil’s early years.
The album honours the thick, unruly guitar sound of classic Australian rock-Masters Apprentices, Celibate Rifles, the MC5 influence, delivered through live takes on 16-track tape and minimal discussion about roles or parts. Moginie and guitarist Kent Steedman simply play off each other, swapping textures and riffs organically.
Lyrically, Thunk digs into modern anxieties. “I’ve Got Things to Say” pairs a wry title with verses built from an iPhone recording of an angle grinder; “This Is Modern War” reflects on the grim resilience of Ukrainians under attack; “5G” critiques tech culture’s relentless acceleration and the exploitative power of streaming giants. The band is releasing the album only on physical formats as a stand against what Moginie sees as the devaluing of musicianship in the streaming economy.
The heavier moments like “Satan and the Chosen People” lean into soft-loud dynamics and big riffs inspired by Tool and Rage Against the Machine. Meanwhile, “The First Amendment,” which Moginie admits could easily have been pitched for a Midnight Oil record, tackles the treatment of Julian Assange and the erosion of free speech.
Across Thunk, Moginie celebrates improvisation, resistance, noisy guitars and the unpolished freedom of a real band in a real room, “a dogged beast,” as he puts it, still pushing forward, still saying things worth hearing.
