Jack Saint – ‘Reap What You Sow’ (Heavy Medication Records)

Jack Saint – ‘Reap What You Sow’ (Heavy Medication Records)

Mutant voodoo blues noise is a great description of your music and a pretty good one at that – sure it’s obvious that the Gun Clubs Jeffrey Lee Pierce looms like a shadow over Saint but there’s more to this artist than that.

It’s been over two years since the debut album on Heavy Medication, and now Warsaw’s Jack Saint is back

 

Its dark,  Tom Waites meets Jim Jones dark as is obvious on “Reap What You Sow” from the outset.  The swampy ‘Worry Blues’ is edgy and experimental as the devil in Saint bellows from the vocals with the needle in the red, their Gun-Club-meets-Beasts-of-Bourbon vibe is darker and heavier than before, as the band mixes it up with new sounds and new textures. but even before that, the record opens with the smooth Jazzy ‘Hair of my True Love is Ice-Blond’ something even Nick Cave has dabbled with.  Sprawling over five minutes long is a brave opener and you realise straight away that you have to go on this journey with Jack Saint or it’s not worth bothering.

 

It’s raw and in your face. the more Cramps like ‘Moving On (Freight Train)’ is a bit of a stomper and the more experimental ‘Music Against Nature’ is a messed up hybrid of styles that does and doesn’t work so much as it staggers like a late night with Olly Reid.  One of the best tracks is the bruising ‘Severence Till You’ again stuttering and staggering with its heavy guitar sounding like an artillery volley before falling back into the groove.

 

The album closes with the Fuzztones like keys and guitar funk attack and a head explosion of an album is done.  I did enjoy it and will dip in and out over time I’m sure of it.  Late-night absynth induced experiences might help make sense of this record more than just playing it on some streaming site it was made to be indulged after dark and I like that and so should you.

Order yours from heavymedication.com. / Bandcamp
Author: Dom Daley

“Demons” – Kiss Off (Gods Candy Records)

“Demons” – Kiss Off (Gods Candy Records)

As a lover of all things punk’n’roll I couldn’t wait to listen to the brand new album from Swedish band “Demons”.

“Demons” are built around the songwriting genius of Mathias *Hep Cat Matt* Carlsson guitars/vocals and have been around for over 20 years and have never released anything short of quality music.

New album “Kiss Off” not only carries on with the quality stakes but in my opinion is “Demons” best album and also a contender for the title of album of the year.

The album kicks off with the track “Baphomet Briefs” and the listener is instantly caught with a great guitar riff, driving bass and crashing drums. Mathias’s vocals are spot on and the song is an instant earworm.

To follow up such a great opener is no easy job but “Mojo Rojo” a song the band has been keen to promote prior to this being released to give people a taster of what’s to come will give you the answer and its a positive, of course they can follow it by just writing another great tune. It’s another fast-paced track which hooks the listener in even more to what’s promising to be such a strong album.

“Bad Neighbourhood” has a slightly punkier edge with a great chanting chorus. This was released as a single so should be familiar with many. “Kids are gonna cry” starts off at a slightly slower pace but soon picks up speed and has a killer guitar solo in the middle of what can only be described as anthemic or maybe triumphant as we can all throw our fist in the air behind that chorus.

“Standing in for joy” sounds like a band that loves what it does as does “Hold sway” follows and these two tracks keep the album flowing at such high quality the addition of a swirling organ layered in the background is a great addition.

“Street corner of no return” is a great sing-along track which gets in the listener’s brain upon first listen. From the rumbling bass through the drum roll that drives the song on it has touches of old school punk rock n roll in it’s Slade like verses that lead towards the hook on the chorus -great stuff.

As the album sails gloriously into the second half ‘Hemisexual’ has some neat 12-bar and those gang vocals!  Mean Street Beat’ begins with a really crisp riff and you have to love the keyboards running with the melody into the chorus “Demons” have really hit the jackpot with this one.

“Blackhearted pearl of a girl” is another top-notch chunk of punk’n’roll – A  tune which picks up the pace as the track progresses and builds and builds.

“Keep on doing it wrong ( ‘til you’re getting it right)” closes out this great album on another high. It’s a great foot stomper which gets you humming along and goes out with a clap of thunderous Rock n Roll rather than a whimper or throwing in a slow ballad they go out as they came in.

It’s hard to put into words how great this album really is as it is quality from start to finish, and every tune on here is a sure-fire winner. Even after the first play, there is a feeling that something really cool is happening and you’ve just heard a most excellent record. Make no mistake about that.

Thanks “Demons” for such a great album. I can’t write anymore as I’m off to play this bad boy again and again and again.

Author: Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper

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“Demons” Matt interview: Here