By Monk
Especially in these uncertain times, when we literally don’t know what is happening with our lives from one day to the next, or what any new dawn will bring with it, many of us probably wish we could turn back the hands of time to our respective youths, and relive the period when we were growing up, without a care in world; without the hassle of lockdowns, mortgages, pension plans, homeschooling – or even wondering if our next pay check may well be our last… a time when our only concern was where our next big rock ‘n’ roll hit was coming from…
Well, that is exactly the ethos behind this, the debut full length album from a guy by the name of Rob Richardson (who may be known to old-school ÜR readers as the one time drummer in Heaven’s Sake), whose new Rich Kid Expre$$ project first came to our attention through the poptastic ‘Bubblegum Radio’ five track EP, released just before the pandemic swept through the Überverse. That in itself was a release which presented a defiant manifesto – to recreate the feel, mood and sounds of an era in which we moved seamlessly from the bubblegum pop of the likes of Bay City Rollers and The Sweet to the hard rock attitude of AC/DC and the Headbangers Ball playlists of da Crüe, Poison, WASP and their ilk.
Well, Richardson hasn’t rested on his laurels and has made good use of lockdown to present us with this, the full-length follow-up – and another collection of damn fine rock ‘n’ roll gems he has delivered our way (quite literally, as he took the time to post us a copy of the little shiny disc version, all the way from North Carolina to ÜRHQ). Despite his opening declaration that he doesn’t care about us, and his challenge for us to ‘Get Outta My Life’, it’s immediately obvious that the boul’ Rob does indeed care about crafting quality rock ‘n’ roll, and that it is something deeply personal to him – so, if you don’t mind, sir, we’re not going anyway but hang around for at least the duration of half a dozen (or more) back-to-back spins of this little slice of rock ‘n’ roll rambunctiousness.
Not that we need any further need to turn up the volume to neighbour-annoying levels, but then Mr Richardson delivers an ace in the hole – a feckin’ cowbell! Yes, sirree, Rob, by track three we’re definitely, and defiantly, gonna ‘Do It Your Way’ – and no better way can we think to do it, at least not for the duration of this Bolan-fronting-Mott magnificence.
Hey, doc, I got a bad case of the ‘Lovesick Blues’, but I don’t want no antidote or vaccine, as my aural cortexes are being infected quicker than a university accommodation block – but this is one disease for which I don’t need, or want, a cure, ‘cos it’s rock ‘n’f’n’ roll at its most lascivious and lecherous… and I love it. No, I FECKIN’ LOVE IT!
The title track stomps heavier than Herman Munster in a new pair of boots, while the ‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ and ‘Clock Strikes Four’ a slice of classic garage-produced power pop with “hit single” written all over them – but, then the same could be said of each and every one of these ten all-filler-no-killer tracks.
Do yourself a favour and buy a first-class ticket for this particular rock ‘n’ roll expre$$. It may not make your rich in monetary terms, but it definitely will in musical ones. Well done, Mr Richardson: another work of art I’m sure I’ll be revisiting and appreciating plenty of times…
- ‘Psychodelic’ is released on 30 October. You can get your copy HERE.
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