Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 28/03/2016
The band draws from the excitement of (early) QOTSA,
mixing it with a shot of CKY and Turbonegro’s go-get-‘em attitude, making for a
highly intoxicating party cocktail. They channel Clutch by way of Puny Human –
lots of groove but the swing is calculated – and throw in some southern touches
for good measure. “Me and the Devil” is
a fine example of forward thinking stoner rock without being self-absorbed or
dipping into prog territory. Dig in and enjoy it.
“Me And The Devil” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Me and the devil
2. Dark Stuff
3. Summer Spleen
4. My lover of the Moon
5. Doin no Harm
6. The sleepwalker
7. That town under the sun
8. Leaving town
2. Dark Stuff
3. Summer Spleen
4. My lover of the Moon
5. Doin no Harm
6. The sleepwalker
7. That town under the sun
8. Leaving town
The Review:
The Texas Chainsaw Dust Lovers make for a textbook example of how to grow as a band.
They’ve brought out two EP’s in the course of three years and have done some
intermittent touring with the likes of The Midnight Ghost Train to support
these releases. Parallel to all of this, the band has also released some pretty
nifty music videos, so it was only a matter of time before TCDL would release their first
full length album, which is exactly what, happened last month on March 28. For
those new to the TCDL party, you’ll be pleasantly surprised because “Me and the Devil” is a hard hitting
rock album that’s as unique and interesting as it is accessible.
The band’s weirdness
draws from the excitement of (early) QOTSA, mixing it with a shot of CKY
and Turbonegro’s
go-get-‘em attitude, making for a highly intoxicating party cocktail. They
channel Clutch
by way of Puny
Human – lots of groove but the swing is calculated – and throw in
some southern touches for good measure. But don’t get “southern”
confused with “southern influenced stoner rock” stuff; no, TCDL
go deeper south than their brethren, and even take a train out west
occasionally, to a place that is more Tex-Mex than it is slide guitars and
whisky.
The best part is that
these different styles mix very well and the band is able to keep their music
interesting throughout without repeating any of their ideas. “My Lover Over the Moon” rings out a
mariachi twang while singer Colot nonchalantly dances over the rhythm with a
calm, low delivery. By way of a drum fill, the song fluidly moves into the
riffy second half without coming across as though the band has forced two completely
different ideas to sit next to each other.
“The Sleepwalker” is the album’s highlight. It starts as a waltz,
Colot standing at the fore, preaching his gospel before taking it easy in the
funky chorus. A short polka side-step makes for a fantastic lead-in to this
chorus and later on down the line, a harmonica-led midsection changes the ¾
time signature into a straight up 4/4. Again, rather than coming across as
random ideas forced to sit next to each other, TCDL apply subtlety when moving
from one piece of music to the next without losing any of the intensity. Not
many bands can pull this off, but these Frenchman sure do.
There’s plenty more going
on during this debut album. At the risk of ruining the surprises, I’m not going
to dive any further into the music with this review. What I will do is take
this moment to highly recommend The Texas Chainsaw Dust Lovers to all of you
because “Me and the Devil” is a fine
example of forward thinking stoner rock without being self-absorbed or dipping
into prog territory. Dig in and enjoy it.
“Me And The Devil” is available here
