(Dead Beat) www.dead-beatrecords.com
Now, this little lot deserve credit for winning me over. When the latest parcel of musical delights was eagerly brought back from the Post Office (y'see it was so full of stuff they couldn't put it thru me letter box) and opened I put this on first, judged purely on the name and the rather bizarre flamenco picker type chappie on the cover looking like he's full of some good 'n evil cane spirit hooch concoction and loving evry wobblesome minute while he serenades some poor unsuspecting diners into desperately resuming their hangovers. But folks, alas, it wasn't to be, for this is no-nonsense (or un-adventurous, depending on what side of the rickety old fence you're leaning precariously against) R&B roadhouse pub-rock slomp. And aaaaahhh another with a singer intoning Ig drawls. This is getting stoopid. Sometimes I think there's a little Stage School of Stooge. Like Fame for garage bands. But whatever, it's a nice, upbeat partee album, diverting at the back of a bar while ya slurp ice cold piss but nothing outta the ordinary, but maybe they don't care about that, else they'd be doing something else. I'd rather hear 'em sticking to what they know an' know they can do than listen to some arty-farty shit whilst reading some pr blurb about changing musical landscapes. And so the more I played it the more I dug it. For it's bright, breezy charm has something of the Weaklings four to the floor stomp (tho without their intense violent full-throated attack) or Rose tattoo's similar drive, tho the snakeskin boot heel doesn't quite ever stay pressed hard against the floor too long. Maybe it's the weather. The Texas heat (as mentioned in Trinity River Blues), versus Portland, Oregon's sea air, or maybe they're just kinda laid-back. Indeedy, they don't seem to REALLY kick into gear till "Take A fall" halfway thru. It's only a subtle shift but I picked up on it on first listen. And this is despite possibly the best two tracks - "When You're Gone" and "Good Old Bad Old Days" - being before this point too. But all in all it's low down boogie grind shot thru with Texan sun chugs along pleasantly enuff, and hey you can groove along to it too which is never a bad thing, it's just kinda by-the-numbers stuff. - Stu Gibson