Blacklist Union have been going for some twenty years now, in which time they’ve released seven albums, all on their own BLU Records label. There was a huge gap between ‘Back to Momo’ (2015) and ‘Letters from the Psych Ward’ (2023), but this standalone single lands just eight months on from ‘Slay the Dragon’, suggesting that their creative flow is back on.
This release, which features Lorraine Lewis of Femme Fatale (and before that, Vixen), is a cover of the song popularised by Johnny Cash and June Carter in 1967 (the same year it was also covered by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood – although it was first released in 1963 by Billy Edd Wheeler and was covered by three other artists that same year). As BLU pitch it., their version ‘transforms the legendary country duet into a collision of punk energy, outlaw country spirit and sleazy rock ‘n’ roll swagger.
Blacklist Union have forged a career from largely sticking to what they know and playing rock, hard, and this isn’t a massive deviation from their standard template, but swerves towards driving punk in the vein of The Ramones. Not earth-shattering by any stretch, but good to bop along to.
