Every now and again, you get sent an album that ticks all the boxes and is exactly what you want to hear. There are times when you get fatigued from listening to so much music and the batteries are low, and then – Bang! An album hits your ears that sounds like lightning in a bottle, and Trash Kickers is one of those wonderful bands to do that. It’s like being given a shot of ECT at the moment when you feel you’re becoming that person who claims there isn’t any decent new music being made, then Boom! Trash Kickers remind you it’s okay to love rock & roll, punk, and country and everything in between that has real wooden instruments and amplifiers. Tight but loose, aggressive but melancholy, and somehow drunk but sober, a wonderful Westerberg-like ear for a top melody and proud of the association and influence.

Let’s go! ‘Fly Or Die’ nails their colours to the mast and they fly their freak flag high and proud with a cool hook n melody and a barnstorming tempo. We’re up and running, and the tunes just keep flowing like good wine at the best barn dance you ever attended. Sure, they have more than passing resemblence in Westerbergs former band, but who gives a shit (I don’t). Rock’n’Roll needs more bands like this. Remember Beach Slang they had the chops but simply vanished off the face of the earth, so the Mats’ shoes need filling, and Trash Kickers have the chops.

The mood gets chilled as the band hits ‘Signage’ and every corner of your head is filled with pleasure explosions feeding the big chorus with beer being shaken everywhere as the sweat drips off your speakers, great stuff. ‘Angel’ takes the tempo right down, and the countrified twang rings out like the best Baird and Prophet Green on Red late-night duet. Man, this band fits right in the top pocket of this style, nailing it with a fistful of top tunage, and that’s not something that is easy to do, and just the fillup I needed.

The snotty rock n roll is back in full swing with ‘No Danger’, and that swagger continues through ‘Perfect Strangers’ before the heartfelt ‘Nothing Left’ reminds us that every time you feel like giving up, rock n roll will pull you through. Crack open the bottle of red and fire up the gob iron and acoustic guitar for ‘Wild Stab’, a splendid tune with a heart-melting cello taking the lead for good measure as this late-night hustle takes its toll another fine detour on an already most excellent record. The album closes with ‘Graduation Girl’, and we’re done. Me, I’m heading back for seconds and hoping it won’t be too long before others catch on and they tour shit island, and I get to see them play these tunes live in some sweaty dive bar.

Rock n Roll music is alive and well and its hard to believe this is their debut album but this is just about the finest new album I’ve heard all year Hell for a debut rock n roll record this is as good as I’ve heard in an age, join me in picking up a copy and let Trash Kickers into your ragged rock n roll life – Buy IT!

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Author: Dom Daley