Backyard Babies – ‘Sliver And Gold’ (Century Media)

By DJ Monk

Proving once again that Sweden is the glunk ‘n’ roll capital of the Uberverse, Backyard Babies pummel their way into their 30^th anniversary by proving that they are very much still at the top of their game with this, their eighth studio album – a collection of songs so hot that I’ve got a fire extinguisher on one side of my desk and a bucket of ice on the other in case my laptop ignites with the sheer level of excitement emanating from its speakers…

‘Good Morning Midnight’ slithers and uncoils with lascivious intent, a boa constrictor of a riff topped off with a snarling, leering vocal from Nicke Borg which assimilates you into its infectious groove quicker than a hive search party can react to a remodulated phaser setting. A glorious slice of power pop meets punk ‘n’ roll, it sets the tone for what is to come, as ‘Simple Being Sold’ pumps and thumps its way into the deepest corners of your aural cortexes with the effectiveness and precision of a surgeon’s scalpel.

‘Shovin’ Rocks’ is a glorious celebration of their 30 years of rockin’ and rollin’: yes, the lyrics are a bit simplistic, but then are so those of most classic anthems – and this has the potential to be up there with the best of ‘em. And you can just envisage the boys bounding and leaping around the studio as they lay down that incestuous riff, earworm chorus and seering solo. Great stuff indeed.

‘Ragged Flag’ builds from another staccato riff, behind which Dregen’s guitar sleazes its way up to the bar before joining the party with a snarl on its lips and a vice like grip which assures you that the flag they are hoisting sure as fuck ain’t coloured white: more likely drenched in blood from three decades of laying it all on the boards in the name of rock’n’ roll!

I’m not going to continue to go through ‘Sliver…’ on a track-by-track basis (except to say that the closing ballad, ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’, is simply majestic), as hopefully you get the picture by now. In fact all that really remains to be said about the album is that you need to slide your most ragged jeans into your most battered snakeskin cowboy boots, grab a Jack ‘n’ Coke in one hand, your lady in the other, turn the stereo up to 11 and enjoy this glorious celebration of all that is good about the rock ‘n’f’n’ roll that we all lurv so much…

‘Sliver And Gold’ is released today (Friday 1 March). You can get your copy HERE.

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