How does a Dunedin musician turn a few cramped Auckland rooms into a post-punk punch in the gut? For Reuben Scott, it took chaos, creativity – and just the right amount of madness.
After building buzz with their 2023 debut House of Highs and a run of loud, sweaty live shows, Salt Water Criminals are back with I Believe in Dog – a fuzzed-out, emotionally frayed second album that somehow feels both messy and sharp.
Frontman Reuben Scott – also known for Nic & Reuben and Three Quarter Marathon – was behind it all. “I made it alone in a few rooms across central Auckland,” Scott says. “It brought me elation and drove me close to madness.”
That tension runs through the record. From dogs to heads bouncing off curbs, Scott’s lyrics dig into the weirdness of life – abrupt turns, quiet isolation, and the odd moment of blind hope. Despite its lo-fi beginnings, I Believe in Dog sounds huge. It dropped last Friday, packed with jagged riffs, howling choruses, and hooks made to be yelled from the pit.
The title track, all jangly verses and fists-in-the-air refrains, captures everything Salt Water Criminals do best. Its video – shot tight and gritty by Robby Hekkers and Damin McCab – matches that no-frills energy.
Last year, the band made noise at Auckland’s JUNK FEST with a set that was rough-edged but laser precise.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Salt Water Criminals’ Spotify bio states, but the Dunedin musician certainly knows their way about a fuzzy alternative rock track or two,” we wrote at the time.
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Their debut started loud and only got louder. With I Believe in Dog, they’re aiming higher – and taking it on tour. Upcoming stops include Christchurch’s Space Academy on Friday, May 9th, and The Crown in Dunedin on Saturday, May 10th. (get tickets here).
Salt Water Criminals’ I Believe In Dog is out now.
