Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

REDD KROSS – Researching The Blues

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Over the course of their career, Los Angeles punk/power poppers Redd Kross (formerly Red Cross) have released some great records.  Although their early raw releases are loved by some, for most listeners, their finest works are not those punk/garage influenced records at all, but the handful of later releases heavily indebted to Cheap Trick. ‘Third Eye’ – the first and most accessible of that short run of albums – is a largely unheralded masterpiece.

The band’s 2012 album ‘Researching The Blues’ breaks a fifteen year hiatus for Redd Kross, but it’s not as if the McDonald bothers faded entirely from view during that time.  Jeff played in Ze Malibu Kids with The Go-Gos’ Charlotte Caffey, while Steven turned his hand to producing records for others, before resurfacing in 2009 as bassist for hardcore punks OFF!

When a band or artist returns after such a long time out, quite often the results can be a little disappointing.  Thankfully, that is far from the case with regard to this record, since ‘Researching The Blues’ is a classic Redd Kross release on all fronts.  Firstly, it features the line-up that recorded 1987’s ‘Neurotica’ – a somewhat pivotal release which saw Redd Kross making the transition from garage-based tunes to developing stronger pop sensibilities.  Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, it blends the best elements of their three 90s records [1990’s ‘Third Eye’, 1994’s ‘Phaseshifter’ and 1997’s ‘Show World’].

It may have been a long time coming, but Redd Kross have given their fans a selection of brilliant tunes here and the album’s overall sound picks up where the band left off, almost as if it was recorded without any hiatus at all.   The short and punchy ‘Meet Frankenstein’ puts the band in a Flamin’ Groovies mode, all sixties chords and jangle.  In classic style, that’s not quite enough for Redd Kross, who then decide to dress an already enjoyable romp with some smart Cheap Trick styled harmonies.  Keeping with a horror theme, the potentially tacky ‘Dracula’s Daughter’ is equally wondrous.  With a much slower pace, dominated with echoing drums (which, in turn, absolutely drenched in crashy cymbals), the McDonald brothers share their love for all things sixties sounding, a fusion of Big Star and Teenage Fanclub.    The more throwaway ‘One of the Good Ones’ provides a little fun via an almost danceable beat, clean rhythmic chord patterns, a bass part which has more going on than initially expected and a world of handclaps.  While slightly more bubblegum than most of ‘Researching The Blues’, doesn’t get anywhere close to the high camp of ‘Bubblegum Factory’ or their 1994 cover of ‘Yesterday Once More’ in the name of trashy fun, but it’s fun all the same.

The simplistic arrangement of ‘Winter Blues’ allows plenty of room for a multi-layered vocal, while beneath pounded drums, a great bassline pulls everything together.  Although not quite stretching to two and a half minutes, there’s also room for a brief twangy lead guitar break which tips the hat to some sixties greats.  Sounding like The Byrds dressed in glam-rock clothes, Redd Kross sound terrific during ‘Hazel Eyes’ which places their complex vocal arrangements against a brilliant jangling guitar line.  Just as you think you’ve heard it all, Steve breaks into a fat bass lead and Robert Hecker tops everything with some brief Pete Townshend-eque  bluster with brilliant results.   In a slightly angrier fashion, the title cut fuses choppy guitar with another pounding drum part.  The album’s most direct offering – perhaps more in keeping with material on the band’s 1994 release ‘Phaseshifter’ as opposed to anything more bubblegum – the guitars are fuzzy and a lead break appears suitably aggressive while throwing out melodies in favour of whammy-bar antics.

While the catchy choruses and harmonies come thick and fast throughout, best of all is ‘Stay Away From Downtown’, a high energy rocker which combines 60s riffs and harmonies with a rawer post-punk attitude.  It’s ringing guitar tones have a relentless approach, but the general mood of the number is absolutely joyous.  The simple chorus which barely extends beyond the one line but it’s so, so infectious.  A casually thrown in “Yeah you!” at the end of each chorus refrain is a throwback to the arrogant teen attitude which peppered their earliest discs, while the shameless “sha laa laa” which brings the track to a close echoes the sugary pop hooks of ‘Third Eye’s best outings.  In short: the harmonies, energy and attitude collide in a way that’s so distinctly Redd Kross that long standing fans will absolutely love this track after the very first listen.

With a running time of just over half an hour for ten songs, there’s no padding here. Like Van Halen’s first couple of records, Redd Kross exploit the theory of “quality, not quantity” and ‘Researching The Blues’ really benefits from such a lean and mean style.  It’s one of those albums which, once ended, you’ll find yourself listening to again…and again. If you loved ‘Third Eye’, this release should be high on your priority list.  If you’ve never heard Redd Kross before this release is a good a place as any to start listening.

August 2012

POST WAR GLAMOUR GIRLS – Tragic Loss; he had such a lovely house EP

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This 2012 release by art-rockers Post War Glamour Girls, capitalises on the great promise of the few singles which have been previously released.  A four-track EP, ‘Tragic Loss; he had such a lovely house’, is ugly and twisted, while at once epic and engaging.

Which a morse-like drum intro and a hard vocal ‘Today I Am a Man’ begins in a rather anxious manner.  By the time PWGG hit their stride, the combination of buzzsaw guitars and smashing drums creates something that sounds like The Birthday Party featuring Marc Ribot on guitar experimenting with more of a psychobilly mood.  This opening statement captures the unrestrained energy within the Leeds based four-piece excellently. In contrast, ‘Tremor’ shows a greater sophistication, harnessing those previous energies with haunting, quieter passages which push a male/female dual vocal to the fore.  The guitars adopt a lovely 50’s echo while, as before, the drums are often the dominant force.  This pair of tunes are like a yin and yang from which most – but not all – of PWGG’s strongest influences come into play; both excellent, but for completely different reasons.

‘The Trawler Man’s Code’ creeps in with atmospheric clanking and droning, but it’s not long before the staccato guitar parts start ringing out and the voice creaks and croons drawing in the listener.  For what passes as a chorus, there’s far more of a melody melody at play here, borrowing bits from the 80s goth movement and blending them with other fuzzy noises to create something alternative yet wholly accessible.   Saving the best for last, ‘She Will Always Be My Anchor’ begins with a slow, doomy intro.  Just as the listener is fooled into thinking PWGG are heading into a four minute sludge-fest, the chords crank out an unsettling and distorted waltz, while a suitably aggressive voice sweeps between a croon an full-on shouting.  Again, comparisons with the more aggressive works of Nick Cave just cannot be avoided, while the music – part waltz, part drunken sway – borrows a heavy influence from the one and only Tom Waits.  During the quieter moments, the drums sound fabulous against a wailing voice, while at the other end of the scale, there are huge skull-pounding riffs.  Imagine Kurt Weill’s work given a distorted makeover and you’ll pretty much capture the spirit of the piece.  In case you were in any doubt, this track (and, indeed, the rest of ‘Tragic Loss; he had such a lovely house’) is bloody amazing.

The Cave-esque lead vocal will provide comforting familiarity to some, while naturally will be off-putting to the more foolish.  Post-War Glamour Girls are far more than the sum of their more obvious influences, though…and as a result, this EP is essential.

August 2012

WIGELIUS – Reinventions

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Maybe it’s just pure association, but some eponymous band names just seem to work well: Dio, Slaughter, Danzig and Dokken are all fine examples of this theory.  Others fall short of the mark: see Newman (sounds more like an estate agent), Naro and Shortino – band names chosen more out of vanity or, perhaps, a lack of imagination.

Frontiers Records signings Wigelius – named after two of their band members – are in danger of falling into the latter category, since the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue… Luckily, for this young Swedish band, their album ‘Reinventions’ is without a shadow of doubt one of the finest AOR/melodic rock discs to be released in 2012.  It’s twelve songs are delivered with abundant amounts of melodic power and classy musicianship (given a great studio sound by producer Daniel Flores) to create what is a “must-have” disc – even despite a slightly wobbly start.

While certainly expertly played – great guitar line, strong vocal, pompy keys –  opening track ‘Angeline’, is so close to ‘Emilie’ by fellow Swedes Work Of Art it’s almost scary.  While AOR stopped being about originality long ago, the similarities are such that it would be easy to dismiss Wigelius as mere copyists.  While some will love ‘Angeline’ (the band themselves have even chosen it as a lead track), it doesn’t quite reach full potential.  From then on, though, Wigelius really deliver the goods.

Bringing in a little more melody, finesse and a far less obvious point of inspiration, the album’s second number ‘Talking About Love’ is much better.  Beginning with dreamy 80s keyboard washes and a solid vocal, it immediately promises great things ahead…and then, as the rest of the band crash in with a classic AOR arrangement and a killer chorus, there’s no looking back.  A great chorus, full of superb harmonies and bell-like keyboard work makes this a near faultless track, especially considering the powerful lead voice and polished arrangement. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to even suggest this is almost an equal match for the kind of much-loved melodic rock that filled a decade of great discs between 1984-94.  ‘Next To Me’ and ‘Cassandra’ follow similarly tried and tested musical blueprints (with the former resembling Swedish melodic rockers H.E.A.T., only much better) but once again, through a mix of genuine talent and a fine producer at the helm, Wigelus come up trumps.  There’s little more to say, but if you’re someone who’s a sucker for a hook, these tracks should more than appeal.

Moving back into a more hard rock structure for ‘Do You Really Know’, Wigelius show no sign of weakness, as Jake Svensson’s staccato riffs lay down a solid foundation and his sweeping lead work comes with a great tone.  As far as fist-pumping melodic rock is concerned, genre buffs will have heard this kind of thing time and again, but this is a band who sound so truly enthused – streets ahead of the genre stalwarts offering another by-numbers affair from tired old bones.     On the acoustic number ‘Love Can Be That Much’, the simple melodies may feel a little like a Mr Big cast-off at times, but the song gives Anders a chance to shine vocally without the rest of the band competing for attention.  In the quieter setting, his slightly accented voice sounds very natural.

A barrage of great vocal harmonies sits at the heart of ‘Right Here Right Now’.  A main riff which could almost pass as the ‘Don’t Walk Away’ riff [AOR fans’ joke], is brought to life by an unwavering rhythm section, over which some of the lead guitar work is superb, particularly during an intro awash with showy tapping moments.   As with ‘Next To Me’, there are few musical surprises, but for those who’ve loved the classic AOR strains within Wigelius’ work thus far, this is potentially another favourite. The album’s most uptempo offering ‘Piece of the Action’ works through a world of rock clichés – musically and lyrically – and although it’s one of the weaker tracks, it somehow manages to sound sparky and wholly enjoyable.  The melodic hard rock riffs are solid, Anders Wigelius’s lead voice has plenty of power, but there’s no doubt the best moments come from a couple of unashamedly old-school lead guitar breaks.

No AOR album is complete without a big power ballad, and on ‘There Is No Me Without You’, Wigelius channel their inner Richard Marx, as a piano base allows Anders to belt out an emotive vocal.  As with most of the band’s other material, it’s when the rest of the band pull together that things really hit their stride, and here, a classy backing vocal and (relatively minimalist) soaring guitar lines give this track a great send-off.  While it’s of the by-numbers variety, it’s not any the worse for that.

Given the sheer amount of well-known talent that has passed through the Frontiers stables over the years – Journey, Foreigner, Jeff Scott Soto, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and so many others – Wigelius may not be considered a premier league band by many, and understandably so.  Fact is, however, ‘Reinventions’ is far, far stronger than most melodic rock discs being released by other bands who began their careers long after the scene’s heyday.  Much like Work Of Art and Brazilian band Auras (both also Frontiers signings) Wigelius are cast-iron proof that there are still classic records to be heard from a genre that’s often considered past its best.

July 2012

BLACK PISTOL FIRE – Big Beat ’59

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The garage blues duo Black Pistol Fire was born from the ashes of The Shananigans following the release of their 2008 LP ‘Bombshell Baby’. After relocating from Canada to Texas and attracting the attention of White Stripes producer Jim Diamond, Eric Owen (drums) and Kevin McKeown (guitar/vocals) released a self-titled album under the Black Pistol Fire name in 2011. An EP, ‘Shut Up!: A Tribute to Little Richard’, followed in 2012.

On ‘Big Beat ‘59’, their second full outing, McKeown and Owen mean business.  Across eleven slabs of raw, bluesy rock and garage noise (all dished up with a healthy rock ‘n’ roll spirit), they sound truly fantastic.

One of the album’s best tracks ‘Lay Low’ combines a great guitar tone, raw vocal and crashing drums to create a tune that has a huge, cocky presence.  In terms of general mood, it sounds like a vocal-led extension to the Dead Exs’ classic instrumental ‘Nolita Strut’.  The reverb dripping from the very basic live recording technique just gives it a sense of energy that so many studio recordings lack.  More complex – but retaining the raw spirit which drives the band – ‘Dead Love’ comes across as if Black Pistol Fire have blended a Chuck Berry groove with a riff which sounds like an ugly, distorted reimagining of Led Zeppelin’s ‘That’s The Way’ (a riff likely “borrowed” from bluesmen of old anyway), over which McKeown’s voice has plenty of presence.  If you want tunes delivered with maximum groove but minimal fuss, look no further.

Elsewhere, you’ll find much more of the same: ‘Busted & Blue’ has a brilliant bluesy edge that wouldn’t be out of place on The White Stripes’ ‘De Stijl’ plus a quirky guitar riff which really tops things off well.  In terms of confidence and style, this is Black Pistol Fire’s masterwork; meanwhile, ‘Hot Mess’ is a simple back-porch stomper and lead track ‘Crows Feet’ blends a pleasing staccato guitar part with some first class slide work, achieving some thrilling results in the process.  As the track pulls to a climax, the duo go all out, crashing and riffing, giving the sense it could go off the rails at any time.

The musical cuckoo ‘Young Blood’ stretches the band’s regular boundaries a little more than usual and adopts a rock ‘n’ roll/doo-wop vibe. A slow arrangement driven by clanging chords has the air of a twisted Phil Spector tune, allowing McKeown to push his vocal range.  There are still a couple of full speed sections where Black Pistol Fire move back into their comfort zone – with Eric Owen absolutely hammering his kit in the process – but despite the pull between old fashioned doo wop, garage blues and all out aggression, it works well.

In case you are unsure, ‘Big Beat ’59’ contains some of the finest garage rock/blues ever.  The end result may not always be particularly varied, but then, what more can you do with a drum kit, a guitar and some fuzz pedals?  In terms of overall thrills, however, this is up there with the unmissable Dead Exs debut.  If you loved The Dead Exs, adored The White Stripes or have found yourself strangely drawn to parts of Billy Childish’s immense catalogue, you absolutely need this record in your collection.  Essential listening.

July 2012

ERIN PASSMORE – Downtown EP

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Although billed as an EP, with near half an hour’s playing time, this eight song release from Canadian singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Erin Passmore is almost as long as some early/mid 60s albums (and an equal length to an countless number of punk discs). Mixing elements of adult rock/pop and a few jazzier overtones, on her solo debut, the sometime member of Rah Rah presents a slow burner of a disc that has an almost epic feel in places.

The eight tracks cover a full range of sounds, between upbeat rock tunes and more understated vocal led pieces.  The lead track ‘Downtown’ is tough yet very tuneful, placing Passmore neatly into a radio-friendly rock pigeonhole.  Lead guitars add a fair amount of fuzziness to a punchy arrangement over which the vocals are strong and very assured.  In some ways, this is a very accessible entry point into this EP, but Erin Passmore offers other far more interesting musical arrangements and ideas.    With her lead vocal soaring above a selection of instrumental brilliance, ‘Into The Woods’ is one such number.  Beyond those vocals, the drums lay down a laid-back beat, the guitars add a retro twang, undercut by occasional piano and a bottom layer of subtle brass.  It really is a kitchen-sink type arrangement that takes a fair number of spins before you’ve discovered all of its best qualities…but it’s absolutely worth investing time in.

In contrast, ‘Sad Song’ is rather bleak: a drum heartbeat and a feedback drone pave the way for bursts of electric piano, over which Erin offers a personal and rather biting lyric. Chopping between full band sections and moments of sparseness, as her vocal teeters against a spasmodic drum line, this track’s striking nature makes it one of the EP’s choice cuts, even though it could also be considered the release’s most challenging. ‘Fall’ also sounds like it’ll explore Passmore’s softer side at first, as her voice first appears accompanied by a simply struck piano chord.  And then, the tune takes a brilliant and unexpected turn: with the addition of busyish drums and a distorted guitar, it becomes a rather dark and aggressive piece.  While it is musically strong, it’s often the heartfelt lead vocal which makes the track great.  The mismatched nature between music and voice provides an unsettling tone, resulting in something unexpectedly cool. [If you really get into this, then checking out Erin Passmore’s label-mate Rebekah Higgs is also time well spent. While they are not always stylistically that similar, Higgs’s ‘Odd Fellowship’ also occasionally sets out to catch the listener off-guard with a combination of strong vocals and interesting musical arrangements.]

On the similarly introspective (but much smoother) ‘Married’, Passmore really excels.  The sparingly used guitars are atmospheric, allowing a tinkling piano to lead the way on a light-sounding tune.  Passmore’s lead vocal style – moving, as it does, between a low register and (gently) passionate delivery – sounds just lovely, especially on the chorus section where her repeated line of “hold me close, I’m tired darling” emerges from the speakers with an almost lullaby/nursery rhyme quality.  The gentle mood continues through ‘Rock The Boat’, a beautifully arranged track which pitches another very enjoyable lead vocal performance against a gentle choir of backing vocals. While Passmore’s very natural tones sit upfront, the warmth of the whole arrangement shouldn’t be overlooked: gentle jazz drum fills and a strong backing vocal arrangement really flesh out the complete picture.  As Passmore’s lead voice builds to a climax, the piece ends abruptly and unexpectedly.

The title cut aside, the ‘Downtown’ EP often teases the listener by working its magic slowly; but once it’s got you, that’s it.  Between the cinematic soundscapes and Passmore’s natural delivery, it’s a release with plenty of charm.

July 2012