Old Salt Union once again enlisted GRAMMY-winning banjoist and Compass co-founderAlison Brown to produce the follow-up to their self-titled Compass Records debut. Theresulting album,Where the Dogs Don’t Bite,builds on this non-traditional string bandsvaried musical backgrounds for a wildly entertaining, eclectic batch of songs.Thequintet Ryan Murphey (banjo), Justin Wallace (lead vocals and mandolin), JohnBrighton (violin), Jesse Farrar (lead vocals and bassist) andGraham Curry(guitar)havecontinued to hone anddeveloptheir sound throughrelentlesstouring,cultivating a steadfast fanbase drawn to their high-energy shows.Coming fromvaried musical backgrounds, Old Salt Union’s collective melting pot of styles andmusical vocabularies informs their fresh approach tomodern string band music and hashelped carve a unique niche for this St. Louis MO and Belleville, Illinois roots outfit.Farrar, nephew of Son Volt’s Jay Farrar, kicks off the album with ‘God You Don’t Need’,a hook laden ode to a relationship gone bad set against a tapestry of strings and aneerily compelling banjo melody. Label mate Bobby Osborne guests on Tell Me So, a nodto the bluegrass side of the band’s musical sensibilities featuring lead vocals andsongwriting by mandolinist Justin Wallace. Violinist John Brighton delivers the gypsy-tinged instrumental Johann’s Breakdown, which pulls from jazz and classicalprogressions, and Wallace delivers the haunting title track, Where The Dogs Don’t Bite.The dark, but heartfelt song features triple-layered guitar harmonies, stacked vocals anda group sing-along that recalls last call at a corner pub in the rust belt, a fitting closing tothis musically diverse and compelling release.