Slovenly Recordings welcomes Germany’s suave rock’n’roll true-believers SLANDER TONGUE to our stable of international beat group sensations! On their debut, self-titled LP (that’s this one you’re holding here, Mac), we have a heady brew of solid gold Real Kids vibes, with guitar solos that don’t allow for the passing of urine during between-song pauses. Think of Johnny Thunders sharing a ride with Fred “Sonic” Smith, while Ian Hunter and Chris Bailey are drunk in the backseat howling along to a beat-up tape of “Goat’s Head Soup.”  Right, let me stop you right there.  Are you kiddin’ me? We’re having some of that with that description from the PR company.  We drop the needle and hey presto ‘Soozie Stooge’ rocks into the ether with a stripped-bare rock n roll par excellence backbeat and whilst the eyebrow is still raised we’re diggin this.

Berlin is a cool place anyone whos been there can find Rock and Roll in every nook and cranny and when these cats turn the amps up the floor is filled with kids jumping around ‘Status Quo’ has the retro feel of a band just playing rock n roll with no frills and no airs and graces just good tunes and that cocky confidence that they damn well know they can carry their tunes.

Man on ‘Goin’ Down’ they sound like their channeling the early Beatles from the Reeperpabahn with some boogie courtesy of Rockpile slung in for good measure.  They’ve kept it simple with plenty of handclaps and bottleneck and those Thunders like solos – Great stuff! That folks is pretty much the modus operandi for the record to be fair.  Honest, loud rock and roll.

Sometimes they dip their toes into the 60s styling with more reverb on the vocals like ‘Wild Child’ which to be fair people would be going gaga over if it were Backstreet Girls knocking this out the guitar interplay is most appealing indeed. Love that bass run on the devilishly good ‘Lucifer’ and then its the home straight as the band just get on with playing some straight-up tunes with melody – great arrangments and attitude.  Don’t know if I want to play it again or go down to the pub and have a good time.  they seem happy to wear their influences on their sleeves and that’s cool with me. How great would it be if there were ten bands like this in every City playing live and making record the world would be a better place that’s for sure.

There is nothing to dislike here at all its a winner or a record.  Bursting with top tunes that’ll boogie and rock n roll you every time you feel down and want a pick me up.  It’s going out tunes and when your out you will have the tunes rolling around your head wanting to put ’em on again. Slander Tongue = Top band!, Top album.

Bandcamp

Author: Dom Daley