I’ve long been obsessed by time – specifically the way it seems to evaporate, as well as the way it seems to accelerate exponentially with every year that passes. It’s hardly a unique obsession: it’s fundamental to the human condition, which is one of the reasons why Shakespeare’s sonnets, with time providing a central theme, continue to resonate centuries later.
Glasgow-based alt-rock / grunge act, Overhaul, who draw influence from, among others, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Hüsker Dü, Cheap Trick, Soul Asylum, Aerosmith, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, and Bob Mould / Sugar, were founded in 1997 by American singer-songwriter Andy Gallagher… which means they’ve been going for over twenty-five years, which is a quarter of a century. That’s quite some career span, particularly for a band who’ve spent their time on the fringes.
It’s a fact that previous releases have featured guest appearances from Gordon Gano and Victor De Lorenzo (Violent Femmes), Mike Watt (Minutemen / Iggy Pop & The Stooges / J Mascis & The Fog), Astrid Young (Neil Young), Billy Ryan and Brendan Ryan (The Bogmen), and Mike Hoffmann (EIEIO / Semi-Twang), but they’re far from being a household name. It’s not due to a lack of quality when it comes to material, either, as ‘Time Flies By’ attests.
‘I Don’t Think You Know Me’ blasts of with a big, buzzing rigg and solid four-four rhythm. It’s rather like (early) Dinosaur Jr covering The Ramones – punky, chunky, but also melodic, fun. This is the blueprint and vibe of the album as it evolves: the guitars are big, gritty, occasionally splintering feedback, but the pure 90s racket is countered by 70s rock bass stylings, and emerging from this solid, guitar-driven bluster are some keen melodies, often airy and accessible. Here, ‘Happy Little Rocker’ is exemplary.
If you pick the songs apart, you can find traces of many of the aforementioned influences, and while that might provide some pedantic amusement for a while, the greatest pleasure is to be had by simply immersing yourself in the overdriven riffery of a set of well-realised, energetic songs. While ‘Time Flies By’ is bursting with energy, it’s clear these are very much songs that are just dying to be aired live, songs that have too much life to be confined by studio limitations. The upcoming tour promises to be a lot of fun.
Overhaul LIVE -
Nov 8th - HMV In-Store - Glasgow.
Feb 14th - The Garage - Glasgow
March 11th - Sneaky Pete’s - Edinburgh, UK @
March 12th - The Hug and Pint - Glasgow, UK @
March 13th - Cluny 2 - Newcastle, UK @
March 14th - Sunflower Lounge - Birmingham, UK @
March 15th - Night & Day Cafe - Manchester, UK @
March 16th - Fuel Tock Club - Cardiff, UK @
March 18th - Black Box - Belfast, IE @
March 19th - Toales - Dundalk, IE @
March 20th - Fred Zeppelins - Cork, IE @
March 21st - Roisin Dubh - Galway, IE @
March 22nd - T.B.A - Dublin, IE @
@ - tour dates with The Scarlet Goodbye
