When I was little I used to watch Top Of The Pops every Thursday night and anything good I heard, I’d record from the Top 40 on the Sunday night.
So whilst I’m not going to pretend that I knew what Rockabilly was I knew I liked the Stray Cats (the six-year-old me also loved Showaddywaddy).
I finally saw the Cat Boys before the pandemic (and have seen Slim Jim Phantom since) and they are as much fun as you’d hoped.
And that’s basically the vibe on their singer Brian Setzer’s latest album, “The Devil Always Collects” kicks off with the primal energy of “Rock Boys Rock,” delivering straightforward rock ‘n’ roll at its finest. “Devil Always Collects” follows with a primal boogie, showcasing Setzer’s mastery of tunes. The beauty of “Girl On The Billboard” is undeniable, while “Living Dead” offers a ballad with a touch of jazz for the Addams Family vibe.
In “What’ll It Be Baby Doll,” Setzer transports us to a time when we felt young and free, capturing the essence of that era. “Black Leather Jacket” exudes a coolness that makes you envision Setzer wearing it as pyjamas. “She Gotta Lotta ….Soul” not only has soul but also adds depth to the album.
This record embodies the perfect rock ‘n’ roll experience, driven by Setzer’s desire to play that fast thing. “A Dude’ll Do (What A Dude’ll Do)” showcases cleverness at its best, and “Psycho Suzie” not only rhymes with “doozy,” “floozy,” and “choosy” but is also irresistible.
“One Particular Chick” explores matters of the heart, questioning if she can take him away from the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
Does this take chances? Absolutely not. And why should it? Remember when Kiss went “grunge”? It sounded like a load of corporate scumbags bandwagon jumping (which it probably was – hi Gene) what you want from Brian Setzer is to escape. You don’t want to be told modern life is rubbish. You know that. What you want is to put on your blue suede shoes and dance the night away.
And on “The Devil Always Collects” that’s exactly what he delivers. Beelzebub always had the best tunes anyway, right?
Rating 8.5/10
