Album Review: New Rocket Union - "Twin Cities Breakdown"

 

Hailing, as the album title suggests, from Minneapolis, New Rocket Union are back-to-basics garage rock duo. But just let me reassure you that if that description is bringing back bad memories of the White Stripes' tediousness, this is a much more fired up and feral take on the genre, crashing through 11 tracks in just under 24 minutes and hardly pausing for breath on its way.

Similar to Winnebago Deal if they'd been raised on the Ramones rather than Black Flag, New Rocket Union crash through the likes of Waitin' For You and Upside Down in a gleefully clumsy race-to-the-finish cavalcade of guitars and drums. There's the odd twist thrown into the formula like the way Outta Sight adds a touch of Elvis style rockabilly into the equation, the Dead Boys style fury of Dirty Little Lies or Outta Mind which brings the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' no-nonsense chug to mind but mostly this is unapologetically simple four-to-the-floor garage punk.

And that's the rub - there's something undeniably enjoyable about the simple no-frills simplicity here. The songs are hammered into your brain with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer but they contain riffs and hooks that'll have your head nodding along and your mouth breaking into a smile. And despite how simple it may appear at first, that's a much harder trick to pull off than you'd maybe think. All in all, this is good fun no-brainer "get in, say what you gotta say and get the hell out again" rock 'n' roll and comes highly recommended.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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