“I guess you could say it’s in the blood.
That’s the chorus of the title track here, but in this context it lands heavier than it first appears. Because Kicks And Diabolik Licks isn’t just another Brian James record — it’s his final album. And hearing him say the words (you can’t really claim he sings them) over a solo that only he could play is one of those moments that makes you stop, listen again, and take stock.
Around this time, James was busy pulling together an album born out of a lifelong love affair with Italian culture. The title nods to Diabolik, the cult comic-book anti-hero created by Angela and Luciana Giussani, while the atmosphere draws deeply from the shadowy world of Italian giallo cinema. Think Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and that lurid, stylish run of ’60s and ’70s noir — itself rooted in yellow-covered pulp crime novels, and a clear precursor to the slasher boom that followed in the ’80s. You can feel all of that dripping through the grooves.
“SoHo” sees him warning you not to go there — though when it kicks up a gear, you know full well he’d still have charged in headfirst, consequences be damned, just for the experience. That contradiction feels very Brian James.
“Giallo Yellow” brings in some organ and initially wears its Doors influence proudly, before doing what several tracks here do: hitting the midpoint and absolutely flooring it. In this case it’s less metaphorical than most — it sounds like an actual alarm being sounded.
“So Sad Sonny” keeps things more experimental than you might expect, while a cover of Lords Of The New Church’s “Dance With Me” finds James re-imagining one of his own songs entirely. With Ramona Wilkins Carlier (ex-The Modettes) on vocals, it’s familiar yet oddly fresh, viewed through a completely different lens.
“I don’t wanna get demented,” he insists on “Ida Strong”, but there’s a wilful streak running through the track — a sense that he’ll take these songs wherever he damn well pleases. That feeling peaks on the jazz-flavoured sprawl of “Happy Families (aka Zombie Song)”, a loose, strange jam that drifts deep into left-field and feels more like an experiment than a fully formed song.
Having seen Brian James when The Damned played in 2022, you knew you were in the presence of genuine greatness, even as his struggles were painfully evident. That context matters here. Because what makes Kicks And Diabolik Licks resonate isn’t polish or perfection — it’s the sound of a restless, curious mind still enjoying the act of creation.
It’s great to hear him having fun one last time, even if some of it is — let’s be honest — a bit weird.
But then again, Brian James was never meant to go quietly.
Rating: 7/10
