Album Review: One Thousand Motels - "Get In Where You Fit In"

 

We reviewed One Thousand Motels' debut album 2% Out Of Sync back in January (link here if you need a reference point) although it actually saw the light of day late last year. Either way though, it's clear that Chris Constinatou and Rat Scabies are both intent on making hay while the sun shines - six odd months for a turnaround period is impressively quick.

While their debut had a sort of psychedelic feel to it, the opener here When The Rabbit's Got The Gun sounds more like an old Edwin Starr soul number - bit unexpected but I'm not complaining. Dark Harvest is harmonica honking blues rock with some unhinged Screamin' Jay Hawkins style vocals over the top of it while the funky strut of Brand New Headline and Reel Me In (the latter complete with a Stax style horn section over the top) see them setting the ground nicely.

This soul/funk sound might not be what you were expecting from a couple of punk veterans like Chris and Rat but I'm impressed with how well they've nailed the sound here - God Is Good could be a leftover track from Primal Scream's under-rated Give Out But Don't Give Up while elsewhere the content varies from the skeletal death march of Spirit Flies Free to the almost calypso style Tell Me. The only slight red light is the rather overblown doo-wop gospel style Somewhere Else which just doesn't quite click for some reason but it's easily overlooked given the high quality of much of the rest of the material on here such as the jazzy swagger of Let Me Know and the fire of Blood Makes The Grass Grow Green.

Much like Constantinou and Scabies did with their previous band the Mutants, it's clear that One Thousand Motels are not gonna be a band content to let the grass grow under their feet and are adopting the approach of changing their sound with every album which, as long as they keep the quality as high as this, is to be commended. For some sublime summer soul, Get In Where You Fit In is well worth a listen.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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