'Cheat The Gallows' is the work of a band whose music has moved past derivative and onto a more challenging vision. A recording with the musical sweep and grand ambition to deconstruct the rock'n'pop of the sixties and the seventies, then reconstruct these two decades of music with full on 21st century, state of the art studio sonics.
The band throw ELO, Mott, Klaatu, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,
King Crimson and the Fab Four (Opener
'Gravest Show On Earth' is openly and obviously a 'Sgt Pepper' parody) into a densely textured mix.
The band's heavily stylised music and mannered delivery may not be to everyone's taste, but there's no denying the power of this contemporary, digitised rehash of distorted, trippy pop'n'rock'n'roll.
When you see so many musical splinter groups heading down cul de sacs or getting shunted down musical sidings, it's a joy to find a band with the ability and the vision to find the songs and the performance to make an emotional connection. And the truth is this : Despite its derivations, '
Cheat The Gallows' is more triumph than tribute, more pastiche than plagiarism. There are a number of tracks here that could easily be late 20th century rock medleys. '
The Evils Of Rock'n'Roll' sounds like a Pink Floyd,
King Crimson,
Deep Purple mash up, laced with cinicism, heavy on the bombast.
Almost every track is a stunning, multi tiered pop'n'rock song, layered to a baroque level of detail. You really want to love them all. It's so clever, so well put together. But on the downside, sometimes the songs are shaped and sculpted with a precision that detracts from the music.
But it's nearly all upside. Throughout the album, melodies are slow buring, taking time to ignite. Some just go on glowing gracefully without ever bursting into flame.
Among many standouts are
'Money, It's Pure Evil' and
'The Game'. Both
are dappled with strings, pealing guitars and breathtakingly melodic moments.
'No Parachute' and
'Superstar' gradually get enmeshed in gluey guitars riffs, like they wanted to be rescued by the shouty vocals and sinuous tunes that conveniently pull the songs free, letting them fly, seeing them swoop and soar like they've just escaped from longtime incarceration.
With Big Elf and The Crash Kings, this new label, founded by Linda Perry, clearly has a keen eye for talent and is showing a welcome desire to take musical risks. Long may it continue.
Written by
Brian Monday, July 27, 2009
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