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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSounding like the best night out on the wrong side of town, Dalston’s finest and dandiest vagabonds The Urban Voodoo Machine return with their long awaited and much delayed fifth long player \u2018$nake Oi\u00a3 Engin\u20ac\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Led by the vivacious Mr. Paul-Ronney Angel, the black n\u2019 red wearing collective have been wowing audiences for well over 15 years with their self-proclaimed \u201cbourbon-soaked gypsy blues bob \u2018n\u2019 stroll\u201d. Some say they are the best live band in the country, others say they are just a bunch of drunken ne\u2019er-do-wells. Both could be right, but one thing\u2019s for sure, you cannot ignore them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recorded back in early 2020 at Space Eko Studios by The Future Shape Of Sound main man Alex McGowan (who also produced alongside PR and drummer J-Roni-Mo), \u2018$nake Oi\u00a3 Engin\u20ac\u2019 captures the relentless live energy of a band who have been described as The Pogues meets Gogol Bordello playing the last damn party at the end of the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul-Ronney Angel writes songs about living in London as an outsider. Relatable issues such as the struggles of addiction, depression, mental health problems and being fuckin\u2019 skint! With a love of The Clash, Tom Waits and AC\/DC, these swampy blues jams, New Orleans jazz inspired ditties and mournful murder ballads have been lovingly crafted by the ringleader and his crew over a bevvy or three, and a few smokes along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four of the eleven songs have been previously released as singles and soundtrack the Covid\/Brexit years better than the frontman could ever have imagined. The prophetic \u2018Living In Fear\u2019 was written as a dig at the Windrush scandal and the Grenfell disaster, and took on new meaning post-Covid when we actually were living in fear. The Caribbean feel created with the addition of steel drums and brass is upbeat and fresh, and a memorable hook is always going to win me over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Empty Plastic Cup\u2019 is an ode to the rich getting richer and the poor getting fucked! It has \u2018Goodbye To Another Year\u2019 vibes, with typical bombastic, UVM backing vocals, a killer sloppy guitar riff and enough brass to kick your ass! It builds and builds to a climactic finish; you just know it’s gonna be a live favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The big band vibes of \u2018Johnny Foreigner\u2019 fit the bill and the lyrics hit home even with the raw, tongue-in-cheek vocal delivery. A larger-than-life tune delivered by a larger-than-life band. The reflective \u2018January Blues\u2019 is the morning after the night before comedown. Again, with hindsight it could be a prophetic reaction to Covid as the singer drawls \u201clast year you can fuck right off, and this year, I’ve had enough of you\u201d over mournful violin and acoustic guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the new songs on offer, opener \u2018Little Jimmy & The Wrong Crowd\u2019 is an early favourite. The unmistakable PR vocal drawl is omnipresent, the blasts of brass and primal beats glorious as ever. But the surprise vocal rap is sung by James Brown II and the overall Cuban feel of the track give a new dimension to The Urban Voodoo Machine killer sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Pill Popping Cross Dressing Copper\u2019 is 2 minutes of musical insanity, another high-energy party song to add to the arsenal. \u2018Hell\u2019s Caravan\u2019 is a sombre, death march with regimental drums and killer voodoo backing vocals, \u2018Dropping Like Flies\u2019 an ode to lost friends, while the ringleader takes us to church with the gospel-tinged sermon \u2018Carry Your Weight\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s enough diversity and familiarity to please fans old and new and something to whet the appetite for those who are yet to capture the band live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Live, The Urban Voodoo Machine channel gypsy punkabilly rave-ups, mariachi marches, outlaw country and bluesy jams, with a heady dose of burlesque and circus sideshow craziness when available. These are the sights and sounds of The Urban Voodoo Machine, and \u2018$nake Oi\u00a3 Engin\u20ac\u2019 is the perfect soundtrack to the crazy world of the band who just refuse to die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n