Having had the pleasure of seeing The Diamond Dogs many, many times and reviewing many of their albums over the years, there’s something warm and comforting in this ever-changing world to put on one of their records and just hear a band hammering out some loud, no-nonsense rock n roll. No bullshit, no pretending to be something they’re not just honest-to-God rock n roll. Pour a large one, make sure it’s cold and turn those speakers up because Sulo, The Duke OF Honk, Federico, Robert, Lars, Tobbe and Leif are in the house and juiced up and ready to rock ‘ n’ roll.

Twelve songs in forty-seven minutes get underway with the Duke of Honk tinkling the ivories as the band get straight down to business with ‘Got Heartache On MY Mind’ bursting with quality, a cool melody and some laid-back intuitive playing from the band who sound locked in like it’s in their blood, and this is just the outlet to pour it all out over the turntable. Now I’ve had this for a few months, and we’ve played some tracks on the podcast, and every time I’ve sat down to pen my review, I’ve just gotten lost in the sounds, and the moment made me drift away in a blissful daydream, so I had to be disciplined and just get it done.

The record is split into twelve songs, six on each side and after the sweet opener, it’s heads down for some toe-tappin boogie-woogie on ‘Bad For You’ with such a cool swing. In an age when the temptation is to throw everything and anything in the mix and every possible sound solution is available in virtual form at the press of a button, or God forbid AI, it’s wonderful that we still have bands as good as this hammering out traditional rock n fuckin roll boogie-woogie with a swagger and some rhythm and blues in its DNA mixed with a cocktail of punk rock attitude and the right amount of The Faces swagger with that Stones confidence and the storytelling qualities of prime time Ray Davies for good measure.

The swirling keys of Honk on the balladeering slowie that is ‘My Heart Is A Cold Case’ shows the other side of Sulos wonderful delivery and changing the pace from all-out late-night party to the morning-after thoughtfulness, complete with some well-placed backing vocals that suit the mood perfectly. The slow climb throughout the song to the solo that just hits the bullseye, like you wouldn’t expect anything other than Would you?

‘Maverick In A Crowd’ is like some late-night 70s cop show as the main man manoeuvres his way through the urban inner city jungle wearing his flares and fur coat, thinking everyone’s a hustler and the good guys all look like Kojak and congrats to whoever thought to put in the percussion in all the right places. We get some bluesy vibes on ‘A Broken Promise’, but as you flip this bad boy over, you get the rousing ‘Brass Monkey Weather’ to steer you to hotter climates with the quintessential Diamond Dogs boogie – no airs, no graces, just a good time delivered so well.

‘Killing Blues’ is that Mellencamp fiddle blues countrified Americana for you, with the swagger of confidence that these guys live it for real and don’t have to don a cowboy hat or chew a straw to look like they have been down to the crossroads the deal with the devil was clearly done in the snug of some saloon bar in the back of somewhere. Recorded in the good ole US of A and Sweden, the Diamond Dogs never drop their standards and can switch from the most thoughtful emotional band to the guys orchestrating the best of times at the flick of a Hammond switch. Let ‘Saturnine Sister’ show you how to party. The last trio of songs take you through the Diamond Dogs MO perfectly, with the cheeky ‘A Place In The Sun’ closing off the album with something of a duet going on and a ye haw! from me as the fiddler plays and the saxophone honks. This is a wonderful record once again from a wonderful band. They know where they sit in the pantheon of Rock n Roll, and they do it oh so well.

Long live The Diamond Dogs and long live their modern defiant retro rock n roll, proving that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and just keep rollin on writing and playing what’s in your heart. Buy this record; you won’t regret it.

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Author: Dom Daley