Album Review: Plastic Tears - "Anthems For Misfits"

 

As has often been commented, when it comes to rock 'n' roll, there's a right way and a wrong way to do things. Take this fourth album from Finnish sleaze-rockers Plastic Tears for example. It kicks in with a song called Doomsday Girls which is all frenetic guitars, Mike Monroe style vocals and a bit of honky tonk piano scattered in there for good measure and you're instantly thinking "ah yes, these guys get it."

Second song Riot Zone couldn't be more Hanoi inspired if it tried right down to the reggaefied middle section but it carries it off with such an energetic swagger that you're prepared to forgive it - indeed, this could easily pass itself off as a great missing out-take from Back To Mystery City or similar. Unfortunately Clash In The Night and Look Of Lies are a bit unremarkable by comparison (despite an interesting acoustic intro on the former which turns out to be a bit of a false alarm as it turns into a more mid-paced chugalong), more Hardcore Superstar than the Hellacopters in terms of quality.

The almost jazzy Hallucinations thankfully manages to drag things back on track and proves that this band can vary things up when needed while Divine may be another mid-paced number but it packs a punch that some of the earlier songs lacked to prove that the band can actually do this sort of thing pretty well when needed.

The driving Radar Eyes reminds me of early '90s sleaze rock should've-beens Vain which definitely isn't a bad place to be and Restless Outsider and Nobody Likes A Crybaby see them going into Hanoi-meets-Lizzy waters to good effect. The sinister gothy Candlelight Hate Affair and the frenetic Communication show off both sides of the group's sound to good effect before the 69 Eyes style swagger of Imaginary Virgin Mary closes this one off in style. 

All in all, Anthems For Misfits ain't a bad effort at all. Sure, the Hanoi Rocks influence is pretty easy to spot but that's easily forgiven as long as it's done well and, for the most part, Plastic Tears do. Definitely one of the better sleaze rock efforts I've heard in recent years. 

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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