Gay For Johnny Depp may boast a name that's memorable, but it's one that's likely to see many dismiss them out of hand as a one-dimensional novelty act. I'll be honest, I skipped over them for precisely this reason. The album's gimmicky title, and the equally gimmicky song titles don't exactly sell themselves on any level above the most puerile, either: 'Nine Inch Males (Porn to Hate)'; 'She Has the Hottest Limp'; 'Cum on Feel the Boize'; 'No, I’m Married to Jesus. Now Keep Your Fucking Hands Off Him' may raise a fleeting smirk, but don't exactly say 'ball-busting hardcore punk racket of a rare standard.'
Confounding expectations, this is punk just the way it should be. On 'What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Will Kill You' GFJD pack eleven songs into just a few seconds over 21 minutes. Each track is played hard and fast, a no-holds-barred sonic slap around the face that leaves the listener dazed. It's all over and the band have buggered off to get some beers before you know what's hit you. It's frantic, scuzzy and loud, with a hint of danger and the kind of manic delivery Eighties matchbox B-Line Disaster do so well.
In Alex Newport, who's production credits include Melvins and Sepultura, and who started out in the super-sludgy Fudge Tunnel, they've found a man sympathetic to their guitar-centric din. The production approach may be simple, but in yer face music requires production to match in order to accentuate the urgency and aggression. The songs might not be big on choruses, but more than make up for it in terms of sleaze and expletive-ridden screaming sonic impact.
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It turns out that 'Cum on Feel the Boize' is indeed a cover of Slade's rabble-rousing 70s hit, and needless to say it kicks Oasis' pedestrian plod through tribute territory into touch, being raucous, wild and frenzied, not to mention irreverent and blustery. Corny it may be, but by this time, they've won me over, and it makes for a fitting conclusion to a cracking album.
Gay For Johnny Depp Online
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