By DJ Monk
Michael Grant may best be known to regular ÜR followers as the guitar-slinger for hire in the Guns/Lewis incarnation of glunk pioneers LA Guns, with whom he recorded two studio albums. He may also be familiar to those with longer memories as the driving force behind prospective San Francisco alt-rockers Endeverafter, who threatened to make big noises at the turn of the millennium but never quite turned up the volume… Well, now he has stepped back into the spotlight in his own right with this self-monickered project, which sees him fully in control by playing all of the instruments – well, with the notable contribution of former Guns collaborator Shane Fitzgibbons, who laid down the drums on fivethe album’s 11 highly impressive tracks.
The album kicks off in ferocious style, which finds us staring down the ‘Barrel Of A Gun’ as Grant pulls the trigger on a high-velocity slice of rock ‘n’ roll that will immediately enamour him to those familiar with his work with the band referenced in our opening paragraph. Catchier than a dose of the beer bug in a crowded Soho pub, it sets the mood in familiar yet individual style, with Grant proving that only is he a damn fine guitarist and arranger but also possesses a pleasant and effective voice, well-suited to the material presented here. This is a feeling accentuated on the title track, which starts with another glunky groove before morphing into something slightly darker yet retaining that catchiness that in an era gone by would have seen it guaranteed to dominate the airwaves for weeks on end.
Rattling through the bump ‘n’ grind lip-moistening sleaze of ‘Killing Me Softly’, latest single ‘Nightmares’ takes us down a darker, more gothic-noir alt-rock back alley, which retains that power-pop sensibility which he has spent the past five years or so purveying but also strongly echoes his previous endeavour, with its dense sense of angst and pathos combined. Rounding out the first half of the album, lead single ‘Red Light Run’ (previously playlisted in our Singles Club) is another sleazy tale of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll with a poppy, alternative vibe, which continues on the extremely indie sounding ‘Anthem Of Us’, which could be ripped straight from the TOTP playlists of the late Eighties when badly groomed mullets and guitars held at chest height were de rigeur. And, unfortunately, ‘Break Me With U’ takes us even further down that route of Tears For Fears-meets-Arctic Monkeys inanity, rescued only by a criminally under-exposed bass line that only rises to prominence at the end.
‘Death Of Me’ introduces a Chili Peppers-style funk vibe, its chorus line delivered in such a Kiedis-style that it could almost be a ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ style mimic, before ‘Runaway (Can You Stand The Rain)’ takes us back down that sleazy back alley with its punchy riff, infectious chorus and “who gives a fuck what people say” tagline, restoring our faith in Grant’s ability to deliver glorious, no nonsense power pop hooks that would floor Anthony Joshua at ten paces. ‘Gimme Salvation’ delivers the album’s heaviest track, with a punchy delivery and winding riff that entwines its earworm deep into your aural cortexes, while at the same time forcing your neck muscles in involuntarily snap back and forth in a way that the likes of the Dan Reed Network always have managed to achieve so gracefully. Talking of gracefulness, ‘Secrets’ signs us off in just style, evoking memories of the likes of Glass Tiger in their heyday with its combination of clarity and crunch that uplifts and enervates in the way a good closing track should.
‘Always The Villain’ definitely sees Grant flexing his prolific musical muscles. If it has a fault, is that he tries to cram too many different musical styles into its inevitable brevity, meaning there are times when the listener’s attention wanders from its central intent, which is to create a platform from which its creator can build something more solid. Having said that, when the album works, such as on its opening quadrilogy of tracks, which present us with a graceful flow of seductive ambience, and its faith-restoring final third, it does fulfil that initial intention.
- ‘Always The Villain’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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