Pryor Stroud: The latest release from the Kills’ upcoming Ash & Ice LP, “Heart of a Dog” is a chugging roots-punk stomper that showcases Alison Mosshart’s charred, vindictive, and cyanide-laced vocal acuities. Lyrically, the song refashions the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” to highlight a female protagonist, a protagonist that, while re-gendered, still desires with an animalistic intensity: “I’m loyal / I’m loyal / I got the heart of a dog,” Mosshart belts, and you can imagine her crawling on all fours, frothing at the mouth, baring her teeth, just like Iggy’s anti-hero, but here there’s an even greater sense of unease. Once unchained, what is this dog capable of? [8/10]
Emmanuel Elone: What’s so amazing about “Heart of a Dog” is how well the song builds. From excellent boomy percussion, the song slowly incorporates a simple yet effective guitar riff and colorful vocals from Alison Mosshart. With the exception of a few added flourishes, these elements make up the core of the song, but everything is fashioned in a way that keeps “Heart of a Dog” fresh and energetic throughout the entire song. The Kills would have done well to bring in some more instrumentation, but it doesn’t change the fact that this song has enough spunk and emotion to make it a fantastic rock hit. [7/10]
Chris Ingalls: From their first album in five years, the Kills strut and boogie their way through a terrific single driven by a simple, dirty guitar riff. You can almost smell the smoke-filled room where this was recorded. The beat never quits and the hooks are deeply embedded in this raunchy, irresistible track. [8/10]
Chad Miller: I’m a little torn on how to feel about the lyrics. I mean, “I’m loyal / I’ve got the heart of a dog” isn’t the deepest line in the world, but at the same time I can see how the simplicity aids in portraying the sentiment of having a dog’s heart. The song sounds pretty enjoyable though. The guitar and drums really drive the piece forward, and the melody fits in perfectly with the texture. [6/10]
The Kills’ new album Ash & Ice releases June 3rd.
SCORE: 7.25