In 2024, as Pavlov’s Dog celebrated the release of the career-spanning retrospective box set Essential Recordings 1974–2018, the band was already hard at work on a new album of original material. That album, entitled Wonderlust, has now arrived on Ruf Records—a half-century after their debut LP Pampered Menial, with the hit “Julia” briefly making Pavlov’s Dog the darlings of the 1970s progressive rock scene.
“I’m so proud of Wonderlust. Sometimes it just takes a half century to discover the proper lyrics, chords and melodies,” says Pavlov's Dog lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter, David Surkamp. “Abbie Steiling has created some of our most haunting moments with her breathtaking string arrangements. In fact, the entire Pavlov’s Dog ensemble have delivered the best work of my life so far. Very exciting here in my winter years!”
Wonderlust is a work of exceptional creativity, built on intelligent songwriting, top-flight musicianship, and the unfailing flair for the dramatic that has been the hallmark of the band’s sound throughout the years.
Formed in St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1970s, Pavlov’s Dog’s unique blend of rock, classical, and folk music turned them into cult legends. Their initial moment in the sun was brief, however—by 1977, the original lineup had dissolved. Surkamp carried on, rejoining fellow founding member Doug Rayburn to record Lost in America in 1990. The true second chapter of Pavlov’s Dog’s career, though, began well after the turn of the millennium, with a new generation of musicians carrying the band’s legacy forward.
Still fronted by Surkamp, the group has raised its game in recent years, as a renewed wave of interest in prog rock has allowed them to tour regularly. This October, Pavlov’s Dog makes their long-awaited touring debut in Australia in support of Wonderlust. The current lineup has outlasted the original band in terms of longevity: singer Sara Surkamp, violinist Abbie Steiling, bassist Rick Steiling, and keyboardist Mark Maher have formed the core with founder David Surkamp for the past seven years.
Already featured on 2018's celebrated Prodigal Dreamer, this veteran team—with help from drummer Steve Bunck, guitarist Phil Ring and others—proves itself once again on Wonderlust. From the first listen, the depth, maturity, and vision of the album’s eleven tracks is striking. The opener “Anyway There’s Snow,” featuring Steiling’s gorgeous violin, dazzles with drama. The string-soaked “Another Blood Moon” delivers some of Surkamp’s most gripping vocals. Rock fans will gravitate to the hard-driving “Mona” and the no-nonsense “Collingwood Hotel.” “Jet Black Cadillac,” meanwhile, begins wistful but lifts off in its soaring chorus, with the dream car acting as escape from the blues. Elsewhere, “Solid Water, Liquid Sky” offers cheeky charm, while “Can’t Stop the Hurt” leans toward hard rock.
For longtime fans of the band’s prog roots, the album’s back half doesn’t disappoint. The instrumental showpiece “Calling Sigfried,” written by Abbie Steiling, lets the ensemble showcase its collective brilliance. The album closes with three co-writes between Surkamp and the late Doug Rayburn. Of these, “Canadian Rain” most strongly evokes the adventurous 1970s prog spirit, with tempo shifts and even a slap bass solo.
Throughout Wonderlust, Pavlov’s Dog sounds like a band that has been around long enough to know what it’s doing, yet one whose creative well is still full. Surkamp shows that he hasn’t lost a step vocally—and that an old dog can still learn some new tricks.
Good music like this will never go out of style.
