Bayaz – ‘Bayaz’ (Fake Chapter Records)

Bayaz – ‘Bayaz’ (Fake Chapter Records)

So a long time ago almost another life pre-pandemic I got to hear a record by a band called Nuclears from the East Coast of America and they had a record that sounded fantastic. Well, during lockdown the main man Mike started another chapter in music with a new band Bayaz after covid pretty much killed Nuclears and some years later we find ourselves here in easter 2023 and a new dawn with a new record. I forgot to mention Mike pretty much has the gift of writing pretty fucking good rock n roll tunes that have catchy hooks riffs n everything that will brighten your day up a notch or two.

This record was recorded in Brooklyn and from the off its a sonic blast off with howling guitars racing off like a wild horse and you have Mike Dudolevitch riding this damn beast trying to tame that Stallion with hooks and melodies twisting and turning on opener ‘Someone Elses Dream’. The dueling guitar solo is a whip crack n smash as the album opener is an exciting song that sets the tone really well.

Don’t be judging just yet because ‘Running’ is a slower beast with some great percussion driving the song on. With a steaming 70s Rock heart beat this is another twist on the opener drilling down on the legacy left by the likes of Thin Lizzy for sure. But hold on to your hat because ‘I Wanna Be Oppressed’ is a snotty slice of glam slammin punk n roll where you get to have the chorus and song title rattle round your head within an instant and trust me it wont let go for a while. Excellently delivered Rock n Roll.

I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I wasn’t championing records like this. An album you might never ever hve the pleasure of crossing paths withunless you are also down on those crossroads trading your soul for some Rock n Roll. This record continues to twist and turn as it navigates the middle part of an album from the uptempo rockers like ‘Found Money’ as it passes the more laid back deep cuts like ‘Up All night’ and the epic six minute plus workout that is ‘Circle’ that drifts through your speakers fucking with your head as the saxophone blows any cobwebs away as part of what can only be described as an album within an album and all in six minutes, mental.

‘Please Please Please’ just turns the amps up and rocks the fuck out like the spirit of Fast Eddie is with us. ‘Bayaz’ is the name of the band, the name of the album and the name of the penultimate track thats a beast of tune heavy as fuck and smashing it over the first few minutes before fucking with your head like some big cock rock guitar noodle fest. If that didn’t mess your head up enough the band sign off this album with three minutes of Rock n Roll with Little Richard piano and harmonies all over a flamin’ guitar lick ‘Spinning Bird Kick’ is a fine way to sign off a mighty fine record.

Hit the link and go check it out for yourself, Happy Easter rock n rollers heres a gift from me.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Courettes – Set to Rock the UK

The Courettes – Set to Rock the UK

Although The Courettes planned to have a much quieter 2023 while they work on the follow up to 2021’s sensational ‘Back In Mono’ LP, it’s almost impossible for this incendiary garage rock duo to resist the lure of the stage and the band have been working harder than ever. Fresh from kicking up a storm at SXSW, The Courettes are currently touring Europe and are set to arrive in the UK early next month for a string of live shows that will not disappoint!

Buy Tickets Here

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Jeff Dahl – ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ (I Wanna Be A Hoople Records)

Jeff Dahl – ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ (I Wanna Be A Hoople Records)

It’s always a good day when I hear that Jeff Dahl is in the studio recording a new album. You start to get word that its got that raw, aggressive punk rock that we often assosciate with people like Jeff and thats always a reason to get excited.

Album number bazillion and twenty lands on my doormat and as soon as the opening riff hits the ether via my CD player I’m smiling and nodding. The raw slash of that electric guitar kicks in and the steady beat crashes through as the title track is a throbbing, pumping, cutting slab of style and it has the swagger you want from a Jeff Dahl record.

As we exit one of the weirdest times known to man the tough get going and it seems a lot of writers were busing their downtime writing and recording via this wonderful internet. ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ is barking out the speakers and life just got a little calmer inside from the thundering drum rolls to that scratched riff its wearing an invisible coat of awesome like a forcefield, loving it. Essentially what you have here is ten slabs of old-school, no-bullshit punk rock n roll. From the Stooges via the Dolls and the Damned and a whole variety of others, the baton was indeed handed down to Mr Dahl who lit the fucker up and carried that burning torch with passion and a fistful of rock-solid punk rock records. After all these years that flame is still blazing. The likes of the mid-paced ‘Atomic Ant Invasion’ is more a stomping march than a casual stroll. Hold on though don’t get too comfortable because ‘We Must Destroy’ is thumping its way into the world from the gnarly guitars through the snotty lyrics it’s classic Jeff Dahl and if you’re not excited by this I’d get to the medical room and get checked for a pulse.

I love the infectious opening of ‘A Little Bird Said’ from the thumping drums it’s like Dahl is channeling the spirit and attitude of the Dead Boys into 2023 and who better than Jeff Dahl to take care of that spirit and use it great effect. The minamilstic guitar break hits the spot – why over play when all thats required is heart and soul.

With only ten songs on offer, Jeff has knuckled down and streamlined whats on offer and picked the perfect songs to maximise his kill count on this lean, mean rockin’ machine. It is all killer and no filler, there simply isn’t the time or space. Whether you dip in or just let it wash over you the energy is right up there ‘The Spider Sisters’ has plenty of attacks and just enough cowbell. Hell, wherever you dip in it’s the same result – ‘Manahampeetah’ or the sleazy ‘Let It Drool’ it is ‘Bat Shit Crazy’ how damn good this is.

The record is summed up on the penultimate cut of ‘Wild, Beautiful and Free’ ok it might not be free but it is Wild and Beautiful. I might heap the superlatives when I get excited over a record being released but sometimes when you get a record and have expectations that you try and dampen whats the poont? The days of tryign to be cool or not fussed are gone and after first play some records wipe you out. Why the fuck shouldn’t you rave over it? Dahl might have sold his soul to Lucifer for the quality on this record but the brooding slow builder that is the album closer ‘Saint Lucifer’ breaks out and speeds up with a hypnotic riff thats like being thumped repeatidly by a heavyweight before slowing down to a crawl and signing offwith a bye bye. I think both Lucifer and Jeff Dahl got good deals here.

The fact that Dahl does everything except hit the drums is brilliant he and Sam Bradley should be immensely proud of this album because, whilst I’ve loved the last few he’s done from ‘Electric Junk’, through the collaboration with “Demons” and ‘Made In Hawaii’ ‘this latest’All My Friends Are Crows’ top trumps the lot of them – The quality of the songs is noticable and if you can I strongly advise you to pick it up. Stateside you get in contact with Jeff for the CD and those over this side of the pond as soon as Ghost Highway drop the vinyl copies get stuck right in and pick up what will no doubt be one of 2023s best albums and you can take that to the bank as not so much an opinion but a fact! Buy It!

Buy direct from Jeff Here

Ghost Highway Store

Author: Dom Daley

Jeff dosn’t want to sell these CDs in Canada, Australia, Japan or Europe. The reason is that all of these places will cost over $15 just for postage (He’s sending from Hawaii) so you’re looking at a $26 CD, which is just too damn expensive and really, don’t order it unless you can’t live without it and you’re rich or something.

Also please note that a deluxe vinyl version will is being made in Spain on Ghost Highway

THE HIP PRIESTS NEW SINGLE ‘JUST TO GET BY’

THE HIP PRIESTS NEW SINGLE ‘JUST TO GET BY’

PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE:

The Hip Priests. Zero fucks n’ less success since 2006. The most prolific band you haven’t heard of. High energy sweaty sermons of misanthropy, disillusion (self) loathing and despair. Get ready to have your ears torn clean off.

After 16 years some bands would be taking it easy but in spite of a global pandemic, there was no let-up in The Hip Priests determination and activity. Their fifth, and by far their best full-length album – ‘Roden House Blues’ – was written, rehearsed, and recorded during this period and will be released May 5th, 2023, via The Sign Records.

Rehearsed, recorded and mixed between the numerous U.K lockdowns in Roden House, one of Nottingham’s former lace factories where the Priests have their own space, and which spawned the album title. This is no Mississippi Blues but perhaps it makes more sense than you think: Howling laments, loss, self-reflection and revelation – alongside some recurring Priests lyrical themes: negativity, nihilism, rage and revolution. After 2019’s ‘Stand for Nothing’ the band were unsure whether they’d do another album – However, global lockdown inadvertently led to a renewed passion and realisation that, like Jagger said, ‘’what can a poor boy do’ – especially when feeling more lost in a world that increasingly resembles a dumpster fire. A few dozen demos were scrutinised of which, through a stricter than ever group consensus, 14 were recorded but then honed down, razor sharp, into the tightest collection of 11 low-fat, lean and mean banging tunes that could fit into 30 minutes.

This week we get to feel another white-hot blast straight from the album’s furnace in new single ‘Just To Get By’, which finds the band in rare reflective form.

“Every day can be a struggle and happiness really is an inside job. None of us are perfect. Every day we’re pitted against each other and ourselves by a world that increasingly looks like a dumpster fire that wants to incinerate us. What can we do to just get by?

Perhaps just trying to improve, rise above and be a better person is an act of revenge nowadays. A number one single in an alternate universe with a guitar riff of such hook and beauty it was surely dropped from the Rock heavens.  

We don’t JUST do Nihilism, Negativity, Rage and Revolution you know…”

This month also sees The Hip Priests team up with Northern Ireland’s The Dangerfields for an Irish tour. Having known each other for years and toured together back in 2010, when the bands paths crossed again last year, the idea of finally sorting that long talked about Irish tour was set in stone. And so The Hip Priests first time in Ireland kicks off in Derry on Weds 22nd March followed by four other shows all across the country.


Come along for an evening (or in Dublin’s case, afternoon) of face-ripping, ball-crushing, ass-immolating rock ‘n’ roll played by a bunch of doozies far too old to know any better!
There will be loud guitars and rock poses, bad words and everything!

‘Roden House Blues’ is released May 5th via The Sign Records and available to pre-order HERE:

FIND THE HIP PRIESTS ONLINE AT:

WEBSITE /FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

CATCH THE HIP PRIESTS LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING DATES:

March

Ireland (With The Dangerfields)

Wednesday 22nd Bennigans, Derry

Thursday 23rd Cellar Bar, Galway

Friday 24th Fred Zeppelin’s, Cork

Saturday 25th Hop House, Bangor

Sunday 26th Wild Duck, Dublin

April

Germany (With Lucifer Star Machine)

Thursday 27th Sonic Ballroom, Cologne

Friday 28th Freakshow, Essen

Saturday 29th Zollkantine, Bremen

Sunday 30th Indra Musikclub, Hamburg

May

UK (With Bitch Queens)

Thursday 25th The Pipeline, Brighton

Friday 26th Hope And Anchor, London

Saturday 27th Nice And Sleazy, Morecambe

Sunday 28th Old Angel, Notts

June

UK (With Zeke)

Tuesday 20th Exchange, Bristol

Wednesday 21st Parish, Huddersfield

Thursday 22nd New Cross Inn, London

September

UK

Thursday 28th Trillians, Newcastle

Friday 29th Bannermans, Edinburgh

Saturday 30th Waterloo, Blackpool

Heartbeeps – ‘Cum together’ (Slovenly Records)

Heartbeeps – ‘Cum together’ (Slovenly Records)

Sacre farkin’ bleu, Brother and sisters, What a glorious album cover this is. Certainly grabbed my attention and made me want to investigate further. Cum Together? tell me more… RIGHT NOW! Bordeaux, France’s HEARTBEEPS have emerged from the ashes of TV KILLERS (Estrus Records / Dead Beat Records), for a punked-up orgy of noise with current and ex-members of Swindlers, Wild Zeros and Holeshots, and this their debut “Cum Together” LP is a fuckin’ hoot, 100 mph of joyful, reckless punk rock. Like a whirlwind of clashing guitars, and drums. It’s frantic garage-based punk rock n roll. Straight out of the bag marked The Saints, Pagans, DMZ, MC5, Radio Birdman, Dead Moon and more than a dash of Cavemen and of course those early Damned records.

From the opening few bars, you get the impression that Heartbeeps are here for a good time not a long time and with their amps dialled in to 11 there isn’t time to fuck about its crash bang wallop and hey ho let’s go!

It’s the kind of music that got Elvis and Jerry Lee into trouble back in the day. Hip-shaking sweaty rock n roll and from the lead track ‘Criminals’ you know just what’s going down. ‘Sick In Your Head’ is a runaway train heading for the buffers but who ever cared about that? Guitars being rinsed for all they’re worth and you can feel the exhaustion from the drummer’s snare as it rings out. Great opener and a signal of intent.

That’s pretty much the MO of ‘Cum Together’ it’s a rush of blood to the head crash, Bang Wallop! To be fair the minute I saw that artwork I knew I had to hear what was committed to wax because those faces tell a thousand stories and all of them great. ‘Aint No Crime’ is a more measured, slower beast but with a cool riff and a solo that could cut through steel. Hold still kids because you should buckle up for we’re off again running red lights with ‘Nightmare’ and thats wiped out with the grooving ‘Never Stop’ that had me thinking of Garage Rock royalty – Gunfire Dance, from the hip-shaking tambourine through the howling good time vocals this is top notch.

There is the belligerent and snotty ‘I Don’t Care’ but you could pick out any of the songs for praise because this is an absolute Banger of a record from start to finish. ‘Sake Blast’ rings out the chords in true Brian James style before signing the record off with the wonderfully titled ‘Trust No One And Fuck Everybody’, drop the mic and burn the studio to the ground it’s only fair right?

Heartbeeps have smashed out a rip-snorting Garage Punk and Roll Banger and shame on you if you don’t let this light up your life. Ok, Turn it up and let’s take it from the top one more time 1-2-3-4 Go!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Van Pelt Announce ‘Artisans & Merchants’

<strong>The Van Pelt Announce ‘Artisans & Merchants’</strong>

NYC Cult Indie Faves The Van Pelt Announce ‘Artisans & Merchants’

Their First New Studio LP In A Quarter Century – Out March 17

Pre-order HERE:

Stream The New Single + Video ‘Punk House’ HERE

Band Announces UK, EU and NYC Shows

Influential band stands among a select few of the most revered second-wave emo / indie bands of all time including their peers in The Promise Ring, Mineral, Christie Front Drive, Boys Life, Braid, Karate, and Rainer Maria.

“The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.”- Pitchfork

“New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band — cult favourites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.” – Consequence

“…should be mentioned a lot more than they are when you talk about the history of emo.”- Washed Up Emo

After twenty-five years of waiting, New York City cult indie favourites The Van Pelt have announced a March 17th release date for their upcoming fourth studio full-length, titled ‘Artisans & Merchants,’ which will be released jointly by Spartan Records in North America, La Castanya in Europe/World and Gringo in the UK.

The album was recorded and mixed in Summer / Fall 2021 by Jeff Zeigler (The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile) at Uniform Recording in Philadelphia, PA, and features guest appearances by Nate Kinsella and Ted Leo among others.

The first single ‘Punk House’ is out now, along with a brand-new music video.

Frontman Chris Leo says, “When a bunch of old VHS tapes were unearthed, the band had them digitized and they turned out to be from US tours of the mid-90s. The footage is mainly of daily banalities: random purchases at rest stops, packing and unpacking the van, highway views that could be on the outskirts of Any Town USA. Yet there is a nostalgia to it that’s compelling. The song mirrors the mood in both sound and text. Lines like “The floor is filled with resin on the place where you’re to sleep / if you have enough to drink you can pretend that it’s a sheet” bring any musician back to the rougher side of days on the road — yet again, the subtext here is that the spirit of it all is to be longed for.”

The Van Pelt has announced a series of UK, EU and Brooklyn shows in March and April. See dates below. Pre-order ‘Artisans & Merchants’ here – https://thevanpelt.bandcamp.com

Rich Ragany and the Digressions-‘What we do (to not let go)’ (Barrel & Squidger Records)

Rich Ragany and the Digressions-‘What we do (to not let go)’ (Barrel & Squidger Records)

Do you know this year so far has been a blinder in terms of new releases we’ve only just left February and tipped into March and there have already been any number of contenders for Album of the year, this baby included, and judging by the number of pre-orders I’ve got pending there are going to be a fair few more.

This LP as I slip it onto the virtual deck instantly washes over you drawing you in to a gorgeous blend of Classic Americana, while holding on to a punk driven perspective, and that jarring of styles, so difficult to get right is what singles this Lp out as something a bit special.

If you’re a Springsteen fan, think back to the classic Darkness on the edge of town, The River, Nebraska period a songwriter redefining, honing in his style, very much as Rich has within the songs on this LP, embracing influences while building on his own style, (think if Bruce Springsteen did punk rock) moving to a beat that’s beginning to fully form, if you think Tom Petty, the Aforementioned Bruce Springsteen, hinting at Steve Earle but also dragging in Jesse Malin and some of the raw blues tinges of Lucinda Williams.  This is a real step up from the Role Models a shift in focus embracing the past but moving into a future of real creativity.

Looking at the tracks stand outs for me “Til I’m on my feet again” hits hard with a huge sense of drive , desire and urgency  reaching out to the future that’s not coming quick enough. Next up the searing, soul searching “The end of all things”. Not to say the prior tracks are weak tracks truth be told there isn’t a weak track on the LP.

“Forever Ghosts” and “Pretty Breeze” to me perfectly illustrate the light and shade within this baby play them back to back and you’ll see what I mean, So what do we have?

Contender for LP of the year? Definitely

A songwriter strengthening his style, embracing change? Absolutely

The LP that breaks outwards from the scene opening the music up to whole new audiences? Defiantly!!!

Do yourself a favour Buy, download, treat yourself to the t-Shirt, be one of the cool kids and more importantly support the artist.

Buy Here

Author: Nev Brooks

Gyasi – ‘Baby Blue’ (Alive Records)

Gyasi – ‘Baby Blue’ (Alive Records)

Gyasi rose to the top of the pile when the album dropped and a whole load of RPM reviewers gave it the seal of approval at the end-of-year awards. Keeping the fire stoked it’s time for some more Glam slammin’ sleazy Retro Rock n Roll. ‘Baby Blue is a four-track EP crammed full of guitar-driven hedonistic Rock n Roll.

I love that they make no apology for their over-the-top showmanship and cocksure swagger. The lead track is one Bolan boogie woogie hip shaker in spangly spandex and more make-up than Bowie wore. That riff is familiar but boy is it good, no it’s great. No scratch that it’s fuckin great and the breakdown into the chorus is wonderful. It’s so unashamed of its inspiration and history, and I love thatit’s delivered this well.

The other three tracks on offer are all live cuts that show the band have the chops when out on the road. ‘Cheap High’ is badd ass like when Aerosmith were out there kicking up a storm in the late ’70s an air of mystery but don’t fuck with them because these cats can play. The sleazier ‘Tongue Tied’ with its rolling beat is one monster sleazy tune before signing off with ‘Sugar Mama’ and all it’s bombast and glory. I’d love to see these guys hit the UK with their live shows in some sweaty club at ear shattering volume it would be a glorious beast indeed. Please make it happen on the next album so until then this EP will do nicely thank you.

Buy/Stream: Here

Author: Dom Daley

Two For Tuesday

Two For Tuesday

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The Fine Art of Self Destruction came out at a time before punk rockers were picking up acoustic guitars and doing singer/songwriter songs. I wouldn’t want it to be lost that at that time very few people were mixing Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and punk rock or any of that. You either liked one or the other. I believe liking the Rolling Stones was a sin in my circle of friends at this time. The internet hadn’t been there to absolve us of such sins yet.

There were a few people who liked these mixes of genres and took in everything instead of shunning things. They took it all in and received the transmissions that spoke to their hearts rather than thinking of what was allowed or safe. One of these was a guy who once set fire to bars in the Lower East Side, had things tied inside his dreadlocked hair, and fronted one of the wildest punk rock bands since The New York Dolls… And then says he has a singer/songwriter record coming? Mercy on our souls…

The Fine Art of Self Destruction opened up a new room in Jesse Malin’s world. And maybe, unknowingly at the time, opened up doors for many others who would follow in the future, myself included.

Jesse Malin and Ryan Adams were two of the first people in the forefront of showing that you could sing songs on records in a new way for punk rockers. The songs on The Fine Art of Self Destruction were punk in spirit yet broken and delicate in execution. These are beautiful songs about people in an in between, nocturnal world who “moved to Brooklyn”, back when that meant something, and people who “come so hard but their songs are so slow.” Those were the people I knew. That was a lot of people. And they felt like they were my songs, not that I wrote them, or could’ve, but that they belonged to me in my world. Jesse put those characters in songs that could sit with you on the drives next to Nebraska and Closing Time when you drove home at night.

I don’t think without Jesse making that bold move of doing exactly what he wanted instead of what was expected that I would’ve been here doing what I do now. I think there are a lot of people who could say the same. It’s not that we never heard music like this, we just didn’t know “we” could do it too. You didn’t have to be Dylan, or Bruce, or Tom Waits. You could be a punk rocker who knew three chords and had a story to tell and that was enough.

I also believe that there was no better person to produce this record than Ryan Adams, even though he may have cheated by knowing five or six chords to our three, but he knew what needed to happen with this record. He was in tune and tapped into the spirit. There was a magic Jesse and Ryan both caught on The Fine Art… And I think we’re all better for it.

-Brian Fallon

Sister Morphine – ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ (Big Egg Records)

Sister Morphine – ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ (Big Egg Records)

Back in the mists of time, sometime around 1994, I was gifted a second-hand t shirt (sleeves cut off, obviously). On the front was a cartoon dog and a cat with a baseball bat, in neon pink writing the band logo of some obscure, local glam band who had long since split up. That band were called Sister Morphine and on the back of that very same t shirt was the immortal phrase ‘SUCK MY JUBE!’. To this day I still have no idea what that means, and until recently what Sister Morphine actually sounded like, but I loved that t shirt and wore it to death. Turns out the singer of that very same band would be my boss/editor/sender of cool music during my time as a reviewer for the legendary Uber Rock website.

South Wales based Sister Morphine were regulars on the club circuit back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, supporting the likes of Last Of The Teenage Idols and Gunfire Dance. But sadly, the stars didn’t align and the band went their separate ways. Who would’ve guessed that Gaz Tidey, guitarists Jamesy & Jonesy, bassist Mike DeSouza and drummer Denley Slade would get the band back together during lockdown and record the debut album that they threatened to make back in those halcyon days of hairspray, fags and thunderbird wine.

So, while you and I were baking banana bread, drinking beer at 10am and watching Tiger King on Netflix, Sister Morphine were scouring their lofts for lost rehearsal tapes, to find the best versions of their beloved songs from a lifetime ago, to see if they really could resurrect Sister Morphine from the graveyard of empty bottles and claim their rightful place as the kings of Glunk Rock 2023!

But why should you care about lost songs recorded by a bunch of 50-somethings, written a lifetime ago? Well, it turns out Sister Morphine can knock out a few tunes, and bloody good ones at that! I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the first single and title track ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’. Who knew Mr. Tidey had such a sleazy vocal delivery that would stand up after all these years. With a voice that sits somewhere between Ricky Warwick and Zodiac Mindwarp, he takes the catchy melody by the scruff of the neck, over a tune that could be an AI generated mash up of The Dogs D’amour and The Quireboys. It’s a 70’s glam rock boogie of a tune and the perfect introduction to the party going on down at Heartbreak City!

Recorded at RedRock studios in Blackwood and produced by Lyndon Price of Welsh metal legends Wild Pussy, ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ is a 15-song blast of high-octane rock n’ roll that features regulars from their live sets, lost tracks from the archives and four brand new songs for you to devour.

Opener ‘Holy City Zoo’ has already been likened to Motorhead by those in the know, and references Bowie, Duran and Roxy Music. It’s a 2 minute & 22 second statement of intent, job done.

You want punky, low slung rock n’ roll with more attitude than Rocky on steroids? Then look no further than second track ‘Do You Wanna Get Wasted?’. Now that’s a song title any angst-filled youth of today can get on board with, right?  Good job it sounds like Zodiac Mindwarp jamming with Backyard Babies and Johnny Thunders then, innit!

The Scandinavian punk rock vibes continue on the likes of second single ‘Nothing Dirty In The Truth’ where the rousing verses and killer chorus showcase a band who really mean it. Elsewhere, ‘Black Hearts & Bruised Egos’ channels Circus Of Power and early Alice Cooper garage rock vibes to great effect.

What’s not to like here? I’m loving this album. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, or maybe I’m biased, but I’ll tell you one thing for certain, Sister Morphine have some killer tunes going on.

Lifting a page out of Tyla’s songbook, ‘Cry The Rain’ is a big tune about love gone bad, set to a Faces-lite rock n’ roll boogie, with some rousing backing vocals. Sava a place in your heart for this one. The hook-laden ‘8 Tracks & Zodiacs’ is another of the new songs, and a potential single for sure. A song about a girl, it has catchy 90’s brit rock vibes that sit well and is a serious earworm.

The strengths of this album lie in the songwriting, the diversity and the production. It’s all pretty high-octane stuff, but they do throw in a curve ball towards the end with the countrified blues of ‘Living With Snakes’. Acoustics, slide guitar and harmonica go a long way to show Sister Morphine ain’t one trick ponies. 

While ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ has one foot planted firmly in the past, it brings a classic sound smack up to date for 2023 with a great production. Full of rock n’ roll nostalgia and clever tongue-in-cheek lyricism, we get sleazy punk rock, 70’s boogie rock and countrified goodness all wrapped up in one cool little package.

If Sister Morphine’s only ambition was to realize their dream of releasing a debut album that could stand tall with the artists of their era, then they have easily succeeded. But I feel they have surpassed those ambitions by taking the music to places their teenage selves could never imagine. ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ is a pretty unique album, in that it has been recorded by a bunch of 50 somethings, yet it has the energy and sonics of a band half their age. And you know what? I’ll be happy to file that shiny new CD in the rack, somewhere between Shotgun Messiah and Skid Row, where it should have sat for the last 30 years.

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Author: Ben Hughes