Just before the pandemic, MV found itself watching Phil X. We had to go home the day after, before the world went to shit.
“Pow! Right In The Kisser” feels like redemption.
Opener “Don’t Wake Up Dead” bursts out of the traps, always a good sign, because it means the band is desperate to rock. “Fake The Day Away” is one STP fans need to get to, while “Heal” does modern US-style hard rock brilliantly.
Basically, this whole record is about groove and hook. “Find A Way” underlines that, but most of all there’s a real sense of fun running through it. “Movin’ To California” throws in the wonderfully cheeky line “the only thing I’ll break is a sweat,” and X’s solos are, frankly, brilliant.
There’s a gloriously mid-90s crunch to much of this, with “You Sunk My Battleship” boasting a mighty chorus, while “Seemed Like A Good Idea” rages about with the energy of a four-year-old. The mood shifts slightly with “Broken Arrow,” which adds light, shade, and even a touch of Soundgarden-esque texture.
In the end, “Pow! Right In The Kisser” is exactly what it claims to be: a knockout blow. All Phil X needs now is for a big band to take the plunge and use him as their lead guitar player…if only such a gig existed, eh?
