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This album is my first time hearing a full album by the band as I have heard some songs here and there over the years. Stylistically, this falls right into my punk n roll wheelhouse and has grown on me a bit with each listen. It has not done enough to consistently keep me coming back to it. Other albums in this style have generally connected with me more than this one, but there are moments here I do enjoy. I don’t think I will be the only one that is a bit hit and miss with this one.
Opener ‘No No No’ has some cool backing vocals and guitar parts through the chorus but otherwise leaves me a little flat. There is a sense of urgency present, but it doesn’t ever really grab me. The guitar solo is cool, but I catch my attention drifting. ‘Love Exorcist’ has a cool riff and groove but suffers as it needs to be up front in the mix for me. Again, the guitar solo hits the spot, and the chorus has a nice shouty hook.
‘Diane’ is a surprise cover and perhaps should have been placed later on the album as it distracts from their originals and competes in my brain between the original and Therapy?’s haunting cover from the 90’s. While this is an alright version, I much prefer the two previous versions. It does not help that it comes before ‘Supersonic’ which is a burner with a huge hook and a catchy guitar riff for reinforcement. This is a hit single in some other dimension. This also would have been my first song on the album. Glen Clarke’s vocals perfectly fit the song, and Robin Schafer’s guitar riffs leap out of the speakers. ‘Dance Dance Dance’ continues to hit the mark as a slow build to some amped up rock n roll akin to a train thundering down the tracks with no let up in sight. The addition of Ross the Boss on lead guitar will likely bring the band some added listeners.
The band change gears with a slower tempo in ‘Generator.’ I really like that they are mixing things up here, and my feelings on this song have really depended on my mood. I wish there was more to the chorus, or it was used less. Acoustic guitar opens our side one instrumental closer ‘Gismo.’
Side two opens with the Supersuckers sounding ‘Drinkin Out Loud.’ I like the song but also realize I would rather just put on a Supersuckers song which is unfortunate. The little breakdown with the crowd noise in the background is a nice touch though. ‘Get Drunk with Me’ follows which in terms of the song titles I find appropriate. Schafer again lays down a nice riff that serves as a hook in itself. The rest of the song though doesn’t really establish its own identity. If I heard this playing in a bar, I would likely tune it out midway through the first verse and randomly come back to it throughout the song. They highlight that intro riff again at the end which does give the song extra life for my ears.
The band changes things up again with the more power pop feel of ‘One You Love’ and is another of my favorites from the album. Adding vocals by Lisa Kekaula again provides another shot of something different over the course of the album. I wish there was more power in the mix of the album, and I have a feeling this song will move at a slightly faster tempo live. Ross the Boss makes another appearance on ‘Killslayer Bob’ with a guitar intro that is really cool. The Beach Boys style backing vocals in the chorus are awesome here. It is the songs that I like that make this whole thing frustrating at the moment as I am quite sure there is an album by Black Sheriff that I would absolutely love if the stars aligned.
Coming to the end of the album, ‘Happy Camper’ brings in some Johnny Cash at the beginning, but this one just completely loses me. To reference the Supersuckers comparison again, when they go country, it feels very genuine as another side of the band. This just comes across to me as unnecessary filler. ‘Black Angel’ returns to the rocking vibe of the album, and it really suffers because of the previous track. I may isolate this song onto some of my own playlists to let it stand on its own as I like the chorus and the extended part near the end. I just check out after ‘Happy Camper’ when I listen to the whole album.
Black Sheriff have created an uneven 5th album for me which frustrates me as I can see them doing a lot of songs I enjoy. This will likely be one where I eliminate some songs from my listening to see if it holds my attention better that way. Songs like ‘Supersonic’ and ‘Killslayer Bob’ will have to be able to serve as the ones to keep me listening. At the end of the day for me right now, I’m just left feeling meh…
‘Time to Burn’ is available now.
Author: Gerald Stansbury
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