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<\/a>It\u2019s nearly 30 years since Sweden\u2019s finest funk n rollers the Electric Boys first hit our TV screens (if like me you caught the low budget promo for \u2018Get Nasty\u2019 on The Power Hour back in the day, that is). Anyway, I always had a soft spot for Conny Bloom and the boys, their debut album \u2018Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride\u2019 received heavy rotation on my boom box, courtesy of a second generation tape recorded off a mate\u2019s vinyl copy..I still have it too.<\/p>\nAlthough they had a bit of a cult following in the UK and heavy MTV rotation, the rise of Grunge was too much and \u2018Groovus Maximus\u2019 and the following \u2018Freewheelin\u2019 failed to set the world on fire, they lost their deal and the band sadly…disbanded. It\u2019s a familiar story, right?<\/p>\n
After a 4 year stint in the rejuvenated Hanoi Rocks, Conny and Bassist Andy Christell reformed the Electric Boys and released \u2018And Them Boys Done Swang\u2019 in 2011. Now with the original line up intact, they return with the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2014 album \u2018Starflight United\u2019.<\/p>\n
Although they were given the funk tag, the Electric Boys were never really that funky were they? If anything there may have been a touch of Sly & The Family Stone to their sound but their hearts and souls were firmly planted in 60\u2019s pop and groove-heavy 70\u2019s rock rather than anything else. And that is the direction this album follows, although they do touch on their funk in places, this is a straight-edged rock album.<\/p>\n
Recorded and produced in Stockholm at Ghost Ward studios by David Castillo, better known for his work with metal bands such as Katatonia and Opeth, \u2018The Ghost Ward Diaries\u2019 is a continuation of where the band left off 4 years ago.<\/p>\n
The first thing I take from \u2018Ghost Ward Diaries\u2019 is how instant it is and how good it sounds, sonically. While it\u2019s a traditional sounding rock album, the crisp, punchy production gives it an edgy modern feel. There\u2019s a cocksure confidence to it. It\u2019s full of swagger, and more importantly, full of stadium-sized choruses. If you are familiar with the recent Michael Monroe solo albums, then you may understand what I\u2019m getting at.<\/p>\n
Opener \u2018Hangover In Hannover\u2019 is a classic Bloom rocker with a simplistic riff and hook. I had to do a double take on that verse, as it could\u2019ve easily been lifted from one of those post-Millennium Hanoi or Monroe solo albums, yet the bridge is pure Electric Boys. A perfect album opener. \u201cCold, outta money, heartbroken and pissed\u201d sings Conny, as the music stops momentarily. A down on luck, rock \u2018n\u2019 roll road tale.<\/p>\n
\u2018There She Goes Again\u2019 has a classic, rousing verse that catches the attention from the off, before a sing-a-long-a-chorus comes on full of sentiment. A Chuck Berry-styled solo over glorious riffarama makes this an early highlight.<\/p>\n
The ballads are full of sentiment; they\u2019re catchy and melodic in all the right places. \u2018You Spark My Heart\u2019 takes the classic 80\u2019s power ballad formula and gives it a modern twist, the guitars sound massive. \u2018Gone, Gone, Gone\u2019 is the big ballad, acoustic guitars, sweet choral backing vocals, a face shredder of a solo and a big chorus. What\u2019s not to like here? Yep, they nailed it.<\/p>\n
There is plenty to keep longtime fans happy as well. The funked up, bluesy groover \u2018Love Is A Funny Feeling\u2019 nods its head to the debut album, as does the slide-infused \u2018Rich Man, Poor Man\u2019. The band continue to get their funk out on the groovy \u2018Knocked Out By Tyson\u2019, with its killer riff and soulful backing vocals that remind me of The Black Crowes classic single \u2018Remedy\u2019, it\u2019s an absolute belter.<\/p>\n
While the instrumental \u2018Swampmotofrog\u2019 is a more experimental jam that I can take or leave, the likes of album closer \u2018One Of The Fallen Angels\u2019 with its euphoric chorus is essential listening. Yep, you could say the fine art of a catchy chorus has not been lost on these boys.<\/p>\n
While Scandinavia has consistently blessed us with new and exciting underground bands for the past 20 years, you could call Electric Boys the old guard. They have been at this game, albeit inconsistently, for over 30 years, and while they may not have the legendary status or even the back catalogue of the likes of Hanoi Rocks, they hold their own, have adapted to the times and are making music as fresh and as vibrant as their debut sounded in 1989. Lyrically, Conny Bloom is in a darker place with these stories inspired by tales on the road but \u2018The Ghost Ward Diaries\u2019 is a euphoric testament to a band of survivors who refuse to lie down. Three albums into their comeback, it\u2019ll be interesting to see where the band go next.<\/p>\n