TWILLEY ROCK SONGS

“WILD DOGS.” Dwight Twilley. CBS Associated. Over and over during the title track, Twilley declares, “Wild dogs in the studio, wild dogs in the studio . . . .” But with a few exceptions, the songs on this commercially aimed effort seem pretty tame. The music’s strong backbone of traditional rock guitar rhythms is too often obscured by an overuse of synthesizers and other electronic toys, robbing the record of emotion and edge. Only during cuts like the up-tempo rockers “Baby Girl” and “Radio” is anything memorable produced. The blend of guitar and studio haze is finally put to good use at the end of the album as Twilley’s warm voice offers new life to the tired romantic metaphor of the “Spider & the Fly.” But by that time, the record’s almost over.