If The Mekons' above titled record is so revered as bullhorn betwixt the buttocks warped country canoodlings, then these guys should slip ever so comfortably into similar shoes. Delightfully skewed as perhaps only a band from the old naval seaport of Portsmouth could be, as they sound like the ghosts of old sea lags who've supped up the dregs of hundreds of years of armadas and asses, corsairs and corsets, collecting scabrous tales in their weathered sails and spitting them out in the form of some seriously soaked to the bone CountryRockin' gumbo. Shattered glass, dt inducing, tequila tortured country trash is the real alt.country...opener 'John Hardy' is early Nick Cave looking shocked and scared at finding out that Seattle noisefucks Federation X have surreptitiously replaced The Bad Seeds while he's been nodding out, 'Big Fat Calf' is as joyous a song as I've heard for a long fucking time, starting off with an almost Doors like slide and strung together on huge sickly slithers of slug-trail spittle into the most shiteating chorus I've heard since the Ribeye Bros. and would make a pigsqueal and slice bacon at a stare. (Incidentally, if you like the Ribeye's awesome 'If I Had A Horse I'd Buy It Oats And Fuck It' record then contact these chaps. Forthwith). Eddie Spaghetti listen up. It also features, fantastically, tho a bit low in the mix, some bowed saw. Always a treat. 'Reefer Madness' as it's very title implies, is a sprightly tippy toed trip-eyed instrumental tune where vocalist Hanky Dog (I think!) has taken some time off to try and truss up some girl in knots to a cactus plant for some cowboy canoodling and is going mad in the process as he's forgotten his navy knots. So we are treat instead to some superslinky surfbilly guitar twang. But it's okay as he reappears for closer 'Puppet Whore', a twisting tale of turbulence that takes the seat outta your pants and slaps your ass in a manner that'd make de Sade dance a samba. Hits me like Pere Ubu (who's voice the singist Surgen sort of reminds me of) jamming with the Magic Band conducted by Tom Waits. Apparently they're currently in the studio. Someone call 'em up, collect a signature and pay for it!

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