Album Review: The Sweet Things - "Brown Leather"

 

And so the Nite Songs odyssey officially comes full circle. You may remember that when we first started this webzine off way back in July 2020, the first album we reviewed was the Sweet Things' debut In Borrowed Shoes On Borrowed Time and now, just under two years later, the follow-up is out and in our review pile. So let's dive in, shall we?

Those who remember those early days of this 'zine might recall that these New York rockers' debut was a prime slice of Dolls-meets-Stones swagger and it's clear from when the title track (which owes a definite nod to imperial years Quireboys) kicks in that it's very much business as usual on this one although countrified former single Ya Know I Don't Mind shows a gentler side to their output before Ride It Home kicks things back up a gear, kind of like the Dolls covering the Stones' Rip This Joint.

Keep It Movin' reminds me of great lost '80s Sunset Strip rockers the Joneses with its glammed up take on the cowpunk formula before Ain't Got Enough Room (In My Heart) pretty much urges you to dig out the lighter and wave it aloft, a big epic ballad which reminds me of a countrified version of the old Throbs classic Honey Child - it could've been an overblown mess but the Sweet Things keep it just low key enough to make it an album highlight.

Cold Feet goes full on into a glorious halfway house between the Faces and Give Out But Don't Give Up era Primal Scream with its tinkling piano and wall of horns. And a killer chorus hook just to make sure before Familiar Face drags us into full-on Hank Williams style honky tonk country with its wistful bar room tale. It Hurts Me Too swaps the saloon for the bayou with some swaggering harmonica soaked blues rock before Mentholated Blues cracks out a prime slice of Dollsy swagger leaving the gentle countrified blues of Problematic Life and the lonesome steel guitar led instrumental Ride The River to send this one home.

Brown Leather does what every great second album should by taking the best bits of the Sweet Things' debut and building on them to create something genuinely great. It reminds me a bit of cult garage rock legends the Chesterfield Kings in that it's unafraid of taking pretty much any sort of type of music on but brings it all back home with a sweet way with a tune and hook that'll have you cueing it straight up for another listen once you've finished. Highly recommended.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 (9/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garbage Days Revisited #67: Jason & The Scorchers - "Still Standing" (1986)

Image
  "And though you are so far away, ten thousand miles of sorrow/This prison cannot, will not kill our blessed free tomorrow"  - Jason & The Scorchers  - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Like a lot of Britrockers my age, it's probably Ginger Wildheart 's fault that I became a Jason & The Scorchers fan. They're a band who the G-man has never made any secret of his admiration for and the Wildhearts even covered the Scorchers classic White Lies  as a B-side to Anthem  many years ago. Most people who've heard them will happily tell you that the group's 1983 EP Fervor  and their 1985 debut full length*  Lost & Found  are classics of the cowpunk genre, the perfect missing link between Johnny Cash and the Ramones and you can add me to that list as well. The follow-up, 1986's Still Standing though? Now that one seems to be a bit more divisive. And that's why it's the one we're covering here on Garbage Days Revisited... (* - well, sort
Read more

Album Review: Steve Vincent - "Recovered From My Past"

Image
  Best known as the frontman of Brit sleaze perennials Paradise Alley, this is the first solo album from Steve Vincent. I have to be honest, Steve's day job band are one of those who I've heard of but don't recall hearing anything by but the general signs here appeared to be promising with a guest list including the Wildhearts' Danny McCormack, ex-Dolls and current Mike Monroe guitarist Steve Conte and McCormack's old Main Grains bandmate (along with several others) Ben Marsden. The first thing to be aware of here though is that if you're expecting a Soho sleaze by numbers affair then you might just be in for a bit of a surprise. If anything, Recovered From My Past  sails closer to the shores of power pop or the vintage strain of '80s Brit-glam (the Babysitters, Soho Roses, Torme, Marionette etc) with a healthy dash of early Hanoi Rocks in there as well. Certainly the harmonica honking likes of Yesterday's Man , Last Train To Babylon  and Can't Bring
Read more

Album Review: The Wannabes - "Monster Beach"

Image
The Wannabes are the musical brainchild of Nottingham resident Wayne Zenith and from looking at the guy's  Bandcamp page , I think it's fair to say he's a somewhat prolific feller with over 50 releases under various incarnations on there. Musically, as the title and artwork probably suggest, it's pretty straightforward Ramones style three-chord headbanger territory (including a competent cover of Rockaway Beach ) with a touch of the Cramps' gleefully sicko gorehound tendencies as songs with titles such as I Was There At The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stuff Cindy In The Incinerator  suggest. There's a few little tricks in there to ensure this doesn't fall into one trick pony territory though with the keyboards over the top actually adding a bit of a '60s Nuggets  style feel to some of the songs especially opener Somehow  which even has an extended piano-led break in the middle - brave move but it works. The more moody mid-paced Drag You Down  (whic
Read more