Sunday, March 02, 2008


Velvetone – Yip Yip (Crosscut Records).

Hailing from Bremen, Germany Velvetone is a band that could easily have come out of the heyday of American rock n roll. The band has added new drummer, Stefan Ulrich since their last album and he has helped maintain their vitality.

11 of the 14 tracks are self-written and the opener, Desperate Heart, has a full sound and they still have Tammo Luers’ killer guitar tone – a very 1960s theme. The Kooler still has those vintage sounds and signature vibes. Lil’ Bad Thing is a cranked up rockabilly in The Stray Cats style and Mighty Hand is a mid-paced rocker with Johnny Cash attitude. Smuggle has a very clean sound, very much down to the production of Velvetone and The Zumo Kings. This R&B also has the 60’s very much stamped all over it. It’s back to rockabilly for Buddy Killen’s It Ain’t Right and their energy levels reach new peaks with this.

Jack Clement’s Guess Things Happen That Way is played in a slow country style and Limbo Moon continues the slow pace, this one being a grinder. However, it’s not too long before they are back at what they are best at and the rockabilly of Paycheck is one of the albums highlights. Seven is straight out of a 60s Western soundtrack with updated Hank Marvin guitar sounds and Ray DeVaryo’s velvet voice. There are more 60s rock n roll sounds on Hot Rod Killer and Hurt Me No More is a sturdy rocker. Sandford Clark’s Go On Home is a slow country/rock n roll crossover and the eponymous closing track is a reverb festival. Yip Yip, shake your hip – a frenetic and fantastic way to finish a more than able follow up to 2004’s Switchback Ride.

http://www.crosscut.de/
http://www.velvetone.de/

David Blue.

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