Straight from the dark side of the room, the latest album from Brown Elephant rockers ROAD opens with the crackle of vinyl, and a crystal clear, cards-on-the-table declaration of Rock n’ Roll intent, Stateside style.
The opening/title track is pure Route 66. Inspired by Californian 6T’s psychedelia (as underlined by the liberal use of Farfisa/Hammond sounds), it ensures that the record twelve-bars its way into the consciousness right from the very beginning.
However, shameless and frequent usage of super-cliches are quick to follow, and sod the accusations of cheese!
“C’mon baby come back ho-wo-o-ome” bawls frontman ? as I groan in all-too-familiar recognition of another phrase well-worn.
‘Little Guatemala’ is more refreshing despite treading the same well-worn path. But as for comparisons with the Fab Four? Forget it mate – Unless you ‘Count the Stars’, (a shameless rip-off of Lennon’s working-class-hero anthem ‘Revolution’). However, the parallels are so obvious that the whole thing sounds like a weak parody.
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Frequently descending into lyrical meltdown “Do-do do-dooo-o-oo”, it could be a (failed) attempt at Blues revivalism.
But the saving grace comes five tracks in with the sweet slide-guitar, rapid-fire lyricism of ‘(Will We) Be Alright’. Repetitive it certainly is, but there’s magic in the looping structure.
Similarly, ‘The Sunday Song’ has undoubted melody and a meltdown sound that reaches for early nineties UK heights.
Ending with the Rockabilly pseudo-anthem ‘Six Bottles Of Beer’ though, the boys revert to type in time for the inevitable negative appraisal.
Long-Player? Shucks – it’s done been done a thousand times already baby.
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