Stone-Faced Rock From Dogs D’Amour

Those lashing, slashing guitars . . . those tattered, shattered vocals . . . those boozy, bluesy tunes. . . . No, it wasn’t the Rolling Stones, or even the Rod Stewart-era Faces, but yet another English import: the Dogs D’Amour.

Performing before a near-capacity crowd Thursday at the Whisky, the quartet displayed a staggering, swaggering sense of swashbuckling style, a two-fisted command of stage ‘n’ sound and the uncommon good sense to keep all their songs short. This last element was especially welcome, ‘cause there wasn’t much variation, virtuosity or subtle nuance in the group’s knock ‘em back, rock ‘em back attack.

Still, if these good-bad, but not evil characters ever come up with one song the equal of their influences, they’ll be bashin’ out the trash and countin’ the cash for as long as their collective livers hold up.