Johnny Kowalski
& The Sexy Weirdos – Kill The Beast
DL
Out Now
Birmingham
based gypsy folk band release their new album.
.
With vocals
sounding like a cross between Marc Almond and Joe Strummer, and music somewhere
between Spanish Flamenco, New Orleans jazz and European travellers, Johnny
Kowalski & The Sexy Weirdos bring us their unique blend of
gypsy-carnival-punk.
With added influences
from reggae and ska, Kill The Beast is a fast paced, high excitement album
which parties along from the first few seconds to the final few. At little over thirty minutes the lads cram
in an unbelievable array of good-time feelings spread over ten tracks.
Intentions are
made clear with the madcap opener Nailbiter, where Johnny’s punkesque vocals
shout over superb musicianship with screeching violins and celebratory
brass. Allegedly using The Clash’s tuba
player from Sandinista, mixing desk from Bowie, guitar from Joy Division and
drum kit from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, The Sexy Weirdo’s modern day take on
anarchic carnival sounds are both enthralling and original.
Tequila Song
is the barmy drinking song of the year.
A frenetic ska tune tipping a hat in the direction of The Specials and
Selector, you’ll be singing it for ages afterwards. Its subject matter probably won’t win it much
airplay but that’s all the more reason to get a copy of Kill The Beast and hear
it for yourself.
Question The Answers has touches of Northern Soul and Motown
and Same Mistakes has a horn section that stomps around all over the
place. Raggle Taggle adds Gaelic influences
to the fun.
Midway through The Good Shark there’s a brilliant dub touch
followed by a sumptuous bass and vocals interlude. A bit of a missed opportunity which could
have seen a terrific dub section lasting to the end of the track, but that’s a
rare criticism of an otherwise thoroughly entertaining album.
Johnny Kowalski & The Sexy Weirdos are fun and
incredibly talented songwriters and musicians too.
9/10
Published on Louder Than War 12/06/14 - here
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