THE WILDHEARTS - review added 2nd September 2009
Album Review: Chutzpah! (2009)
For fans of: Modern Rock... and cracking America
The Wildhearts originated in the North English city of Newcastle at the end of the 80's. Formed by former Quireboys member David 'Ginger' Walls - a man unsurprisingly blessed with a luxurious rug of strawberry blonde hair. Over the years many members have come and gone...and the band have stopped and started several times...but now they seem to be on an extended period of recording and touring.
Chutpah! is their 8th studio album and follows 2007's well received eponymous release. The line-up, as it was for the preceding album, is Ginger and C.J. on guitar, Ritch Battersby on drums and Scott Sorry on bass. Although Ginger is counted as lead singer, they all have a stab at lead vocals through the album.
The sound owes a fair chunk to the previous release, but a lot of Chutzpah! heads in varying, arguably randomised directions. There's thrash metal, punk, pop, soaring harmonies and colourful effects. The result is experimental but in a good way. There's a lot of kick-ass sound on this record - more than but I would have expected from a band who've been toiling away for 20 years to really get noticed. Diehard fans of the original Wildhearts sound might cringe at some of the songs but they shouldn't; this is a rock solid album with balls, attitude, beauty and passion. For someone who was never really a fan of the band, that's something I never thought I'd catch myself saying.
There's a big nod to Americana in the sound of many of the tracks. Whether it's a cynical attempt to crack The States, a natural progression or part of the experimentation born in the genesis of this album I don't know, but it does stand out. If no one told you otherwise you'd probably think this band actually came from somewhere on the far side of the Atlantic.
The American references are there from the off with opening track 'The Jackson Whites'. Parts of the song sound achingly familiar but I can't put my finger on the reason why. Other sections sound like a softened version of White Zombie. The result is a great track though so we'll let them off. The strangely titled 'Plastic Jebus' again has occasional hints of White Zombie in the bass line. The remainder of the track is R+B flavoured rock with a pant-wettingly catchy chorus.
'The Only One' is a straight ahead American teen punk track that could have been performed by any number of Stateside acts. Again, good track though. 'John of Violence' is part lightweight punk, part ballad, part pop-rock and boasts a bunch of wonderful harmonies and flowery hooks. The massively and brilliantly titled 'You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane' is another summery American punk track that hits the spot. The 'Frère Jacques' section at the end is thoroughly mentalist.
'Tim Smith' starts with a very heavy thrash section that has Scott Ian tattooed all over it. The bombastic approach continues into the start of the vocals, but then it suddenly transforms into the most beautiful harmonized section. It's totally at odds with the rest of the track and utterly brilliant! The piano start of 'Low Energy Vortex' leads into a rocking but chilled track with a bucket load of brilliant musicianship - surely one of the finest technical performances The Wildhearts have ever produced.
'You Took the Sunshine from New York' has $$$ streaming from every orifice but, if you can get past the obvious market-penetration ideologies, it's another decent effort. 'Mazel Tov Cocktail' has a full-on Rolling Stone start before quickly turning into an American Pie party track. There's a Green Day flavour to the vocals in places. The title track takes the final slot and it is, to all intents, bloody good. It's a mix of flat-out punk-metal and electronic vocal effects...and sounds a hundred times better than it has any right to.
I think you could comfortably describe this album from The Wildhearts as 'surprising'. It hints at their old style but draws much from modern American charty punk. The good thing is this is a band with a lot more musical talent than most comparative U.S. bands so the result very, very good. I'm still a touch uncomfortable with the aura of chart chasing but, that aside, this is a classy piece of work.
Check out... The variety of styles and influences throughout.
Track List:
1. The Jackson Whites
2. Plastic Jebus
3. The Only One
4. John of Violence
5. You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane
6. Tim Smith
7. Low Energy Vortex
8. You Took the Sunshine from New York
9. Mazel Tov Cocktail
10. Chutzpah
Label: Backstage Alliance
Artist's website(s): The Wildhearts , MySpace
