Album Review: Watts - "Shady Rock 'n' Rollers"

 

Hailing from Boston, Watts are another signing for Rum Bar records and their press release describes them as a group raised on Kiss, Cheap Trick and Starz trying to bring that sound forward into the 21st century. Upon listening to opening track Loud And Fast, I have to say my reaction to that statement is - not quite. Don't get me wrong, the enjoyably flashy guitar work and thudding bass definitely have a hint of the above about it but the sandpaper rough vocals (which remind me a bit of Tom Spencer from the Loyalties and the Professionals) and gang chant chorus give this more of an early '70s Brit bootboy glam feel. I'd say less Cheap Trick and more Slade from where I'm sitting. And let's make it clear, there's nowt wrong with that as the churning riff and pounding drums of Queens reinforce to good effect.

There's definitely a bit of a New York Dolls feel here as well as the ominous Breaking Glass makes clear as it transports you to some dingy inner city alley where kids with switchblades roam while The Night The Lights Went Down is pure early '70s Stones meets the Sweet with its swaggering Mick Taylor style guitar line. Shady is the token ballad to slow things down sounding like a great lost Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson song (think It Ain't Easy When You Fall) and Heavy Metal Kids, true to its name, really could've been a song by the late great Gary Holton and his crew of ne'er-do-wells.

But then just when you think you've got this band named, Shocking Pink throws a well timed power-pop curveball in which sounds like a cross between the Dogs D'Amour and Tom Petty. Unexpected and all the better for it. Seventeen takes us back to the Dollsy strut of earlier with some Roxy Music style horns added in for added oomph and is great stuff. The morning after lament of When The Party Ends is the only slight red light here - not a bad effort but it just sounds a bit plodding after Watts knocking eight tunes out of the ballpark with ease prior to this but luckily the Romantics style power pop of All Done With Rock 'n' Roll turns it round to sign this one off in style.

I was really impressed by this album - it's rare that you'll find a band who can take everything that was great about the shamelessly flashy glam rock era of the '70s and transplant it into the 21st century with minimal fuss. There's been quite a few bands trying this trick in recent years but trust me, Watts are definitely one of the best exponents of this kind of music I've heard in many moons. Go give Shady Rock 'n' Rollers a spin now and here's hoping some enterprising soul will get 'em over here to dear old Blighty for a few gigs in the not too distant future.

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