I love debut albums. I love debut albums by young bands full of self belief, passion and verve. Albums by groups of kids who feel that they have to work hard at what they are doing so that the world will sit up and take notice. Albums by bands that are full of youthful swagger and self confidence, before age drags them into complacent mediocrity. This is one such album.
Martin Trimble, the bands singer/songwriter/guitarist has stated that they wanted to make a rock and roll record that wasn't about wearing Converse and becoming junkies (take note The Strokes), and its fair to say that they have achieved this. Without an inordinate amount of fawning from the popular music press this is a band who have steadily and assuredly built up a fan base and a repertoire that deserves recognition. They deliver a raw and raucous blues led rock and roll album somewhere on a line drawn between The Rolling Stones, Chubby Checker and Iggy Pop, influences are not hard to pin down, but are rarely unique. There is an awful lot of direction taken from a range of artistes, but it's all blended so naturally as to give the 22-20's a sound all of their own.
The whole feel of this record is edgy, it's dirty and seedy, it's Hunter S. Thompson, or Joseph Heller set to music. It should be the soundtrack to an Easy Rider re-make. It reeks of life on the edge of the underbelly. The 22-20's are comfortably walking a tightrope, balanced between the gutter and the stars.
'Devil In Me' is a driven opening that owes chunk of bluesy funk to Keith Richards; it is the 22-20's very own 'Jumping Jack Flash'. And the tempo remains up for the recent single 'Such A Fool' which imparts an intensity, yet fluidity so seldom seen in music today. The lightweight offerings of their peers are swept aside with power and panache, with verve and nerve, with guile and gusto. This is an album that really does make you sit up and take note. It's impossible to ignore. The flow of the album is tempered with a steady, almost regimental 'Baby Brings Bad News', structured around a pounding piano lead chorus, and a luscious slide guitar outro this tale of disillusionment somewhat surprisingly ends up as one of the high points.
This is quite simply a record that draws on the origins of rock and roll yet manages to honour the strength of the music without falling towards the 'all style, no content' rock ethos. It harks back to the days when rock and roll was a music genre rather than a lifestyle.
'Friends' is a beautifully crafted acoustic homage to The Byrds and Dylan. The explosive 'Why Don't You Do It for Me?' and menacing 'Shoot Your Gun' keep the standards high and the potency absolute, whilst 'The Things That Lovers Do' slows the pace right down with a heartfelt tale detailing the recognition of failure.
Closing the album are 'I'm The One' and 'Hold On', the former a strutting, self confident declaration of intent. It is a self assured statement, both lyrically and musically of where the 22-20's seem to be bound for. The latter 'Hold On' is a grinding, pulsating, rhythmic epic. It's a fitting end to a brilliant debut. If this is the foundation that the 22-20's will be building on, then the future is sure to be nothing short of exhilarating.
If you value character, passion and a genuine love of music over style, costume, and routine, then the 22-20's are without doubt worth a look.
Johnny Mac
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