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Review: 'Walker Brigade'
'If Only'   

-  Label: 'Big Stir Records/Bandcamp'
-  Genre: 'Rock' -  Release Date: '27.5.22.'

Our Rating:
If Only is the new album by LA based Quartet the Walker Brigade. They have twin vocalists Jeff Charreaux and Tracy Walker along with Mark Fletcher and Craig Tyrka who have been into Anthemic despair together since 2014. This album collects together the bands previous singles and new recordings along with a bonus 2nd disc of outtakes covers and live treats.

The album opens with the garage punk blast of Fallout that has Stooges style guitars but with harmony vocals as everything falls apart like urgent college rock with enough cloak and dagger in the lyrics to let you know this affair is going to destroy them.

Disease takes a long hard look at the American Disease and how it's crippling the country this is downbeat and dark with distressed guitars and lots of pain coming through.

Tower sounds like Belly but with tribal drumming and the twin vocals soaring to the top of that Tower and hoping it doesn't come crashing down around you.

No has distressed guitars wailing into the song as Tracy Walker's vocals go very mid 80's post punk on us and then Jeff Charreaux is more backing vocalist that twin vocalist on this song had has a weird squiggly break down as the song almost sounds faster than it should be as Tracey tries to explain to a 2-year-old what No actually means.

Judy Holliday is a nice tribute song to an old school Hollywood star; This is slow and affectionate for someone who is not that well remembered.

Don't Sell Out (For Free) is a song about a concept many of us are familiar with, being asked to do stuff that is good for our profile or career and not getting paid for it, yeah as an unpaid reviewer I get that for certain. This has a nice minor indie feel to it.

Fancy Boots sound like ones that you can still run in as this is played so speedy and fast like they are running away from the trouble the boots have got them into.

V.D. Doll adds some strings to an urgent song about that V.D. Doll and what you might need to do to get rid of it, and the country-tinged rave up guitar part could help explain that they mean voodoo rather than venereal disease or do they.

What is Wrong With Me? Is a song about a yoyo relationship, the normal love hate, can't live with you can't live without you stuff, over stop start crunchy post punk guitars and clattering drums.

Choker has a distinct weirdness going on with all the stuff that goes on around the central riff and tune as we find out what is happening with that Choker and how it will hurt you as all the trust has gone.

Sand In My Joints is a super speedy cover of the Wire classic, that has a real one take flying by the seat of there pants feel to it, that is perfect for this song.

Shake Shimmy has big echo laden vocals and a garage stomping rampage of a tune, for you too all get down, Shake Shimmy and follow the dance moves, that they obviously lead the audience to follow, in concert.

The album closes with a cover of I'm Tired that Madeline Kahn sang in Blazing Saddles and this is straighter than the original, but it does get good and sultry and builds into a big production rock song against male toxicity as she wants to be empowered, I love this, it goes as over the top as it should, the songs lyrics are still totally relevant and of course as tongue in cheek as most Mel Brooks songs are.

The second disc of Bonus tracks opens with an Alternate mix of Disease that slows it down and brings the vocals out more with a good chant along college rock chorus, I prefer this disease to the other one.

No (Alternate Mix) has more rumbling bass and is stripped back on a Belly goes Distillers and all sorts of noise tune, as they to get to the core of what they are saying No too.

V.D. Doll Alternate Mix takes us barreling down Route 66 with them and there set of needles. I Wanna Destroy You is an angry rant at the people they would like to get rid of to make America a sane and safe place to live in once more through the power of amplified rock and roll.

Any Band brave enough to cover Lovers Of Today has to bring something to it, they bring a country rock edge to it, the dueling vocals add to it as well, as making sure the guitars sound different enough, this is a very good cover of an Only Ones classic.

Micah has a good bootleg tape feel to a live recording with a mix that's a bit drum heavy, but it sounds good and in places a bit Babes In Toyland.

The bonus disc ends with a radio ident for Don Valentines legendary I Don't Hear A Single radio show and a live version of Rock And Roll Toilet that's good and diseased version of the Soft Boys classic, they use the essential garage rock stomp at it's core and add some grime and slime a great set closer.

Find Out more at https://www.bigstirrecords.com/walker-brigade https://www.facebook.com/walkerbrigade








  author: simonovitch

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