High Life High Volume
is an early vote-getter for Best Album Title of the Year. But it's also
the Forty-Fives
' strongest statement yet. Like that old
Mono Men
stuff, or any of the trashy
garage
types associated with Memphis'
Shangri-La Records
,
carry their influences in a beer cozy holster. But on cuts like
"Who Do You Think You Are?,"
"Bad Reputation,"
and
"Junkfood Heaven,"
the Atlanta quartet put enough of themselves in there to make it a whole new drink.
Bryan Malone
's vocals are as gritty as ever, and
Trey Tidwell
's keys are a constant highlight. The band gets all soulful and broken mannish with the
Stones
-style
"Too Many Miles"
(nice horn section!), and tosses out a great, loosey-goosey instrumental with the sax and keys-flavored
"Backstage at Juanita's."
Recording
High Life
with
Jim Diamond
in Detroit gave them access to the city's rockers, with
Dirtbomb
Mick Collins
contributing some harmonica and
Siren
Deanne Iovan
in a brassy duet with
Malone
on
"Daddy Rolling Stone."
"C'mon Now Love Me"
is your standard bottle-shattering-against-chicken-wire rave-up, and
"Bicycle Thief"
is a mildly
country
slide guitar workout.
won't change the world, but it'll get you through the week til the next Saturday night. It's a well-done, sonically varied album in a genre that too often sticks to what's drunk or unimaginative. Recommended. ~ Johnny Loftus