Album Review: The Idolizers - "Concretins"

 

Certain albums you can tell that you're in for a good time as soon as that first riff you hits your ears and Action!, the opening track on Rum Bar signed New Yorkers the Idolizers' second album, is one of those times, a deliciously nasty sounding Radio Birdman style descending spiral building up before the tune kicks in properly. As far as opening thirty seconds go, it's definitely up there with some of the best I've heard of late.

It's pretty clear from the off that the Idolizers are into the nastier end of garage punk - as well as Radio Birdman, think the Stooges, the Dead Boys, Back In The USA era MC5 and obviously the Ramones (I have a theory that a love of da Bruddas is a precursor to getting signed by Rum Bar on the evidence of this year so far!) None of which would mean squat of course if they weren't any good at it but I'm pleased to report that Concretins packs a suitably hefty punch and the requisite amount of sneering aggression to make it a more than worthwhile listen.

The freewheeling likes of All The Way, Exile On Pain Street and Gone Are The Great Wheels bring back memories of all the cool bands you used to like in the nineties that inexplicably never went anywhere - think early Backyard Babies, Circus of Power or the Black Halos or the Hellacopters. There's even a hint of Motorhead on the rumbling All Night Long which is never a bad thing while the ominous closer She's A Killer even goes into Danzig territory.

Quite simply, the Idolizers are everything you'd want a New York punk band to be - scuzzy, nasty and sound like they spend most of their time away from music propping up thoroughly disreputable bars in some Big Apple back alley. For some serious cheap 'n' nasty scuzzy thrills, Concretins is tough to beat.

Bandcamp link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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