Time Bomb High School (2002)
7.5
Stormy Weather / Straight Shooter / You're Not As Pretty / Brown Paper Sack / Wait and See / I Walk By Your House / Time Bomb High School / I Don't Believe / She's Bored with You / Reptile Style / I'm Holding Out / I Don't Know How to Tell You / Dressy / I'd Much Rather Be with the Boys / You're So Strange
Initially,
I was a bit disappointed by Time Bomb High School, which I blame entirely
on Too Much Guitar, an annoyingly satisfying and ridiculously loud
album that only got better and better since the day I decided to review it.
On that album, Cartwright managed to sound both out of control (its wild power
can barely be contained) and extremely disciplined (most of the songs are
of top-notch quality and bear the mark of a true craftsman), while Time
Bomb High School, on the other hand, sounds almost stilted in comparison,
the well-mannered distant cousin to the teenage delinquent Too Much Guitar
is. Each album has to be valued on its own terms and merits, of course, and
several more spins revealed that this album also has a fair amount of excellent
songs, irresistible choruses, the trademark In the Red back to basics-spunk
and diversity. Come to think of it, it's quite ironic that the softest album
of the two has two guitar players on it. The reason why is that this album
seems more indebted to bubblegum pop and 60s girl groups. It wouldn't have
existed without the generations of the American garage bands of the mid-to-late
60s either, nor without the raucous Brit Invasion of the Rolling Stones, but
several of Cartwright's arrangements and melodies recall rock's innocent (well,
make that 'less dangerous') years, when vocal harmonies and songs about boys
on motorcycles and forbidden kisses in some dark school corner were as exciting
as you'd get. As such, the band's sound is very reminiscent of the Fleshtones;
just check out the call & response-vocals of opener "Stormy Weather," the
song's goofy humour and contrast between its bright guitars and less optimistic
content (since you know what happened, "it seems like it's raining
all the time").
Cartwright has understood the power and efficacy of simple ideas and the album's best moments are usually the result of ingredients that could've been dull in the hands of a lesser band. The swagger of "Straight Shooter," the short phrases of "Brown Paper Sack" and swift, Stones-y vibe of "She's Bored with You," they're basically updates of Spector-pop, melodically-addictive sugar-coated music with an extra dose of rebellion and decibels, the kind of material that's destined to be used for mix tapes next summer. So far, so good, but occasionally your attention might slip, as Cartwright has added quite some quieter songs to the album and those do not always manage to live up to the rockers, despite their brief length. The sulking "You're Not As Pretty" still gets by on the strength of a catchy chorus, but the vigorous title track comes as a relief after its two preceding songs. They're by no means failures, but the Reigning Sound are definitely at their best when their material crackles with energy. Unfortunately, the bouncy "Reptile Style" is followed by no less than four calmer songs, two of which ("I Don't Know How to Tell You," "Dressy") should've been left off of the record. Saving the best for last, finally, "You're So Strange" is Reigning Sound Grand Cru: fierce, rough and a bit manic, with yelped vocals and a chord sequence that'll appeal to the rock animal that's lurking inside of you somewhere. It may be a bit crass, but had this 37-minute album been trimmed down a bit (to 11 songs, 28 minutes), it could've been a contender. Now it's just a damn fine warm-up for the fantastic third album.
Too Much Guitar (2004)
8.5
We Repel Each Other / Your Love Is a Fine Thing / If You Can't Give Me Everything / You Got Me Hummin' / When You Touch Me / Funny Thing / Get It! / I'll Cry / Drowning / Uptight Tonight / Exedrine Headache #265 / Let Yourself Go / So Easy / Medication
If there would be an album like this one for every lazy, faceless pseudo-garage album that's being released nowadays, I'd be the happiest guy on the block, and trust me… there are lots of people on my block (even when I'm ignoring the geriatric institution down the street). You wanna know why? It's because The Reigning Sound's third album might be one of this year's best bets if you're in it for pure, hard-hitting, blistering rock 'n' roll (very much like label-mates The Dirtbombs pulled off it with Ultra-Glide in Black a few years ago). It's basically a rather simple formula, but it takes talent, identity or experience to really make it work and leave your mark these days and Greg Cartwright & Co. have all of those, as these 37 minutes offer more thrills and satisfaction than almost any other band has recently done for me. From the swell opening song "We Repel Each Other" onwards, it becomes clear that Cartwright never lost the energy he succeeded in capturing with his previous band, the Oblivians. Like that unit, The Reigning Sound definitely fits the garage punk-moniker, but the tag would be dismissive of all the extra other things and influences that can be found throughout Too Much Guitar. Cartwright's songs are sharp as tacks and tough as German hooligans, filled to the brim with energy, yelped vocals and offered as an insanely clamorous din. It's entirely appropriate that the album was released by In The Red Records, as the meters really sound as if they were pushed to the max, so as to keep the impact as forceful as possible (while avoiding metal-heaviness). As a result, the album sounds incredibly tense and nervous, almost living up to its title. But it's not only Cartwright's heartfelt vocal style and raucous axe-work that steals the show, as the rhythm section of Jeremy Scott (bass) and Greg Robertson (drums) seems as stubbornly determined not to care about anyone or anything, unless there's vicious rock 'n' roll involved. This ferocious kind of energy wrapped up in retro-rock has been around for quite a while (whether it's done by the Flamin' Groovies, the Gories or The Mooney Suzuki), but rarely as infectious as during no-nonsense sticks of dynamite like "I'll Cry" and "Let Yourself Go," which give most Nuggets-bands and their best songs a run for their money. That they're not just fake-ass artists is further proved by their thorough knowledge of music history (that's what can be expected from a band with Memphis, TN as their home base I guess) and references to hard R&B, soul, country-rock and proto-rock 'n' roll, as their version of Hank Ballard's "Get It!" is one of the best slices of proto-rock nostalgia since Robert Gordon set the place on fire with Link Wray. The other covers are equally impressive: even though the vocals in Jim Dickinson's "Uptight Tonight" are buried beneath the racket it manages to rock harder than KISS's entire output, while their take on Porter & Hayes' "You Got Me Hummin' " (also recorded by Sam & Dave, if I'm remembering that correctly) is absolutely fantastic (and perhaps the coolest cover I've heard this year). But, let's not forget to stress that Cartwright is one hell of a songwriter himself, which is all the more obvious in the songs that don't necessarily try to scorch your eyebrows: "If You Can't Give Me Everything," for instance, would've been a GREAT song on ANY early Stones album (even though it's rawer (sonically speaking) than anything that band ever recorded), while "Funny Thing" and "Drowning" are instantly memorable songs with ridiculously catchy melodies (the chorus to the first!) and chicken skin moments (just the way how he starts off singing in the latter). Too Much Guitar may be about repelling each other, heartbreak and love being a funny thing until it's caused you pain, but more than anything else, it's a confirmation of the existence, relevance, and joy of rock 'n' roll when it's churned out by the right people, at the right time, with the right material. Nothing new, but exciting like the first kiss you ever got. Well, … almost. Hoss Cartwright, you better watch your ass. I can't help it. I'm such a sucker for energy.
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