Across the CD, the highlight is definitely the storytelling of the lyrics. It's wonderfully illustrative and moody, also nicely intriguing (I'm a big fan of lyrics I don't understand!). Unfortunately, another common theme is terrible endings. Often they are drawn out and fit awkwardly with the rest of the song.
The title track, is case in point. Focussing on the good stuff, the lyrics brilliantly paint a picture of a wild, hedonistic carnival scene. And the music itself is toe-tappingly catchy, with a great riff.
It's interesting to compare this CD to my previous review of Joe Cocker. The style of Joe Cocker isn't something I'd normally dig, so for the song The Letter to appeal to me is an incredible achievement. On the other hand, rockabilly is right up my alley, so perhaps even the most mediocre rockabilly song would score a rave review from me? Hmm, I wonder...
Which brings me to Ill Motivation and Werecar. To damn them with humble praise, both are just solid songs without any real highlights (except, perhaps, the catchy chorus of Werecar). But, probably due to the genre, I still really enjoy them.
To quickly mention the poor recording quality... well... on the bright side the vocals have a haunting quality that works a treat. But otherwise it sounds like some guys where hanging out in a garage drinking beers, and then spontaneously decide to record some times (possibly after the sound engineer had enjoyed a few too many beers...). But this is the first-up effort for an indie band, so I shouldn't get too precious about it.
Trip to the Moon is a fantastic story, and has great music. I really dig the unusual use of the snare drum throughout the verses, which contrasts nicely with the more conventional drum pattern for the chorus. Add the hillbilly bassline and the spacious guitar, and it makes for great music. As for the lyrics, they recount one's battle with his inner demons in a wonderfully poetic style:
This time alone inside my head,
This time alone is all I dread.
And maybe it's the only thing to do.
This evil isn't make-believe
It steals my thoughts, it haunts my dreams
And maybe it's the only thing to do:
Take a trip to the moon.
Devil Drives a Valiant is a musical version of a Tarantino film. There is no cooler story than a demonic femme drag racing at night on deserted country roads in a 70s muscle car. With a catchy little tune to back it up, it is rockabilly perfection.
Side by side, we run on down the track
Beaten again, she must run under 10 flat
I said "damn demon, that's quick for a six",
She said "I'm the devil, you know I've got my tricks"
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