Album Review: Neon Animal - "Make No Mistake"

 

I have to be honest, the initial omens for this, the second album by London sleaze-rock stalwarts Neon Animal since they evolved from their former incarnation of Bubblegum Screw, weren’t overly promising. I mean, look at that album cover fer fook’s sake! Somewhere out there is a Swedish hair metal band from 2005 or so that wants its artwork idea back I reckon...

Hold yer horses though because you definitely shouldn’t judge this book (or rather album) by its cover. Neon Animal are one of those bands who seem to have been slowly improving album by album since that first Bubblegum Screw album a decade or so ago and Make No Mistake is comfortably their strongest showing to date, finally achieving that scummy Stooges-meets-Dolls nirvana that they seem to have been aiming for since day one. Right from the feral call to arms of superb opener Rock ‘n’ Roll War, this is the sound of a band firmly firing on all cylinders as if they’ve properly worked out their strengths and are well and truly playing to them.

Sure, the Iggy, Thunders and David Jo influences are very much still present and correct but mixed in there appears to be a new found love of AC/DC with the rolling riffs on the title track and the ominous Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide channelling the Young brothers to devastating effect while the snarling album highlight Let’s Make The World Rock well and truly rips.

I Can Tell You Love Me conjures up the sleazy swagger of Danko Jones in one of his more measured moments while the more mid-paced and jangly duo of Hello L.A. and Raquel change the pace when you’re least expecting it (the latter owing a sly nod to the Lords of the New Church’s Russian Roulette) which shows this band are still learning new tricks and moving their sound forward before the lurching seasick Alice Cooper style Broken Mirror signs this one off in fine style.

Colour me impressed - with Make No Mistake, Neon Animal have well and truly upped their game to deliver a real knockout blow of an album. Time I think for the rock ‘n’ roll world to sit up and take notice of this band. If you want to check it out for yourself (and I really think you should), you can stream or buy it from the Neon Animal Bandcamp page.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌖🌖🌖🌖🌖🌖🌖🌖🌑🌑 (8/10)