Crash Street Kids – ‘Transatlantic Suicide’ (Virgin Records)
CD Reviews
Written by Dom Daley
Sunday, 04 October 2009 14:02
I’ll start by saying that this record should carry a Government Health warning and a tipper stick from H & S, firstly for its infectious content and H & S due to the bloody huge hooks sticking out all over the damn place.
Snotty, feather boa wearing, spangly trousered, silk scarved, big sunnys wearing bastards. There you have a perfect description of the Crash Street Kids. I doubt very much they’ll give a flying one that people reference the 70’s glam of Ziggy Stardust, Queen, Mott The Hoople or even the mid 70’s buzz saw harmony of the Ramones – and some AC/DC riffage – because they’re all in here in equal measures.
Do you still believe in rock n roll? On this evidence, these boys do and I’d just like to say “Fuck yeah! I’m in as well.” I believe, brothers, I believe. What a great song; all stomping and stadium filling chorus, ‘Do You Still Believe In Rock N Roll?’ sounds like a cracking New Year’s Eve house party where the booze is free and the birds all want you. That party is this song.
In what can be an all too clever era we live in, where anything can be done at the flick of a button or twist of a knob (oo-er), it’s an absolute joy to kick back and chill out with a big huge grin and a record that say GOOD TIMES! in almost every groove. ‘Cigarettes And Starfuckers’ is next up and rocks like it has just met Hanoi Rocks jammin’ with Keith Richard on a T-Rex jem using the Quireboys’ equipment.
The themes don’t change and neither does the quality on offer; ‘I Disappear’, ‘Destroyer’, ‘We Kill Tomorrows’, all keep on riffing. It’s not until track eight that the Crash Street Kids get a little laid back and all melodramatic on us; ‘Berlin’ builds through its five minutes, changing tempo as it moves through its parts like a mini rock opera and I think that’s a trumpet parping out after about three minutes to add to the grandeur of it all. The rock opera theme is carried on through the next track as well as ‘Dressed In White’ tells its story in a way not too dissimilar to something Bowie or Queen did in the 70’s, with some mean axe work on display.
I’d love to see this band hit the UK and tour the backside off the place – maybe a package tour with Prima Donna and We Are The Fury would be nice; preferably in a sweaty club full of beautiful people. This could be the ingredients for the greatest night out ever, where the champagne is free as is the taxi fare home, and those chickarinos I mentioned at that party earlier……. well, they’re already in your cab….