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Ninja Gun
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 Y'know, folks, just last week my good friend Johny Skullknuckles turned to me and asked if there was anyone out there possibly better than
Slobberbone, as he'd just purchased their essential and almost worryingly brilliant 'Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today', and I didst reply in the negative but told him about this little delight that was awaiting me one day when I got home from, well, being not at home, I guess. It's not as darkly, twistingly inventive as the Slobberers nor has it got their added instrumentation either, but they don't really need it. Simple, small town tales and troubles, tautly told that veer between huge galeforce gallops that knock the wind right outta you (the constricted, arid throat rampant absinthe rampage of 'Maybe You Should Explode') and pretty, pleasantly panoramic widescreen windows of bittersweet beauty ('Losers Talking' - where surely a curtain opens on the stage and all eyes see sat there a big, sad-eyed pooch - and the sea-mist organ driven swirl of closer 'That Must Be The Dream'). In this, they (Hooorayyyy!) recall
The Replacements (not for nothing is there a song on the Slobberbone record mentioned above called 'Placemat Blues') when they splashed through, say, 'Skyway' and also
'Shooting Dirty Pool', indeedy, the guitar break on 'Dead FM' recalls to these greasy ears a classic stuttering Stinson solo. Vocally, there's more than enough Westerberg in there to stay drunk on for a while too, especially when chased with the
Gram Parsons tinges on 'Purification Ritual' swooping down low from keening highs. Elsewhere, 'Jessie (She's Only Gonna Dance With Me)' is souped up 60's pop sludge....sweetly reminiscent like the Shangri-La's used to make and if 'Reverb' isn't lifted wholesale off
Eric Clapton's 'Please Be With Me' then my old man's a draughtsman. More please, and don't dilly dally about it, Sally. Quick sharp, on the double, pour me a treble and give these guys one too.
If ya dig: 'Mats/Westerberg, Slobberbone,
Uncle Tupelo, The Scorchers, Tommy Hale, Tommy
Rivers etc, then go buy. |
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