Wild-eyed rock n' roller 'Born Lucky' kick-starts this frenetic and compulsive rollercoaster ride in fine style, as the third album from Seattle speed merchants HANDFUL OF LUVIN flies out of the trap at a blistering pace. 'Life In Between' could easily be a reference to the high velocity alt-country/folk crossover that drives most of this wonderfully reckless collection to distraction
though the apparently harmless dub/skank bits often steal first base when it comes to territories insane (Sting-fronted 1980s trio THE POLICE may come to mind, but there's no real evidence to secure a conviction!)
So despite the all-out compulsive decadence that's certain to get you wired in from the off, it's the country/ceilidh fused follow-up 'Breadcrumbs' (fuelled by Andrew Jocelyn's frantic fiddle playing) that gathers momentum to steal the early part of the show - from anonymity to hysteria in the blink of an eye, Seattle style
The clanging hundred mile an hour honky-tonk of 'There's No Right, There's No Wrong' twangs and scrapes at full and frantic pelt before the prevailing southpaw/sod's law steers this dynamic moral standpoint ever downwards towards a pulsating breakbeat loop.
Also hell-for-leather, 'Treaty' is another pychotic extreme; frontman of this bridge-taking four-piece David John spearheads a high velocity funk freakout that can only crank up the drama still further.
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You get a rest though – essential time to recover comes notably during the pair of fiddle-happy, sample-assisted twin track interludes 'The Pilgrimage(Into Chaos)' and 'Fingers'. Both create an effortlessly deep trance; this despite the former (an atheist swipe at the con-trick that is religion – not my view ladies and gentlemen, I hasten to add!) standing as an ode to the high velocity core of this wonderful record.
Deep string arrangements, psychotic extremes, controversy, a devilish streak and of course, the blur that it all resembles as the addictive, instantly likeable melodies duck and dive until you're thrown from the saddle; some or all of this or some other element will leave you totally hooked.
OK,. mentally, it leaves a trail of destruction, but that's a small price to pay for such a scorching and committed attempt to bring joy to our lives. Whatever your tastes, this is an excellent take on rock n' roll that you'll find virtually impossible to ignore.
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