Album Review: Suzi Moon - "Dumb & In Luv"

 

We first encountered Suzi Moon via her Animal single a few months ago and it was a good 'un, sounding like if the Donnas had grown up listening to the Dead Boys rather than Kiss with a bit of a Sweet style glam stomp to it as well. So I was intrigued to see what this, her first full album, would sound like.

The opening title track here reminds me of Texas Terri Bomb's guttural punk stylings and makes for an energetic opener while the barrelling Family Memories, a tale of Suzi's dysfunctional childhood while looking forward to the future, keeps the momentum going nicely. I could see this one sitting well on the recent Interrupters album. As befits its title, California has an almost glam-punk feel to it similar to some of the more stripped down Sunset Strip bands back in the day (think the likes of the Joneses or the Trash Brats) and Money has a similarly melodic take to it - maybe a bit of an obvious comparison this but it brings Celebrity Skin era Hole to mind before it builds up into a big multi-part five minute epic. The only downside is that after that, the chugging I Go Blind feels a bit sluggish by comparison.

Honey goes into more straight ahead pop territory, kind of like a heavier Voice of the Beehive before the two minute punk blast of Any Other Way thankfully picks the tempo back up with a prime slice of scuzzed-up Buzzcocks/Undertones indebted power-pop. 99 Miles To Pasadena is even better, sounding like an old Chuck Berry rock 'n' roller with a nitro rocket shoved up its jacksy. Believe In Luv is a freewheeling slice of Ramones style energy before the almost cowpunk style strum of Freedom brings this one to a close and shows another string to Moon's bow.

Although it's let down in places by a slightly over-polished production, there's enough enjoyable moments of scuzzy glam-punk in here to make Suzi's debut album worth a listen for the curious. Only slight bit of advice I'd give is to hit the throttle a bit harder next time and she could definitely be on to something here.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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