By DJ Astrocreep
With a band with as illustrious a career as the Stray Cats, it’s hard to say something that hasn’t been said before. They have their rockabilly sound that has been honed over their now 40-year career – hence the name of this new album – with this latest effort being a real slice off the old block. While some people may think that this sound has had its day, the Cats still have plenty of lives left with what is easily a release that sits comfortably alongside their previous albums and music.
They go between their usual sound and a more traditional Americana sound, in the manner of Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and the likes, with an added bit of Desperado – something that would fit very well alongside early The Shadows and similar. It’s as fun as ever, evoking memories from both earlier in their own career and of those heady times of the 1950s when early Rock N Roll was properly taking root, leading on to what we now know it as.
The album itself is quite strong overall, being well written and produced, but a couple of songs, in particular, caught my ear from the first listen through, namely ‘When Nothing’s Going Right’ and ‘I’ll Be Looking Out For You’. ‘Cry Danger’ is another strong song, bringing back thoughts of The Beatles with a sound not dissimilar from ‘Day Tripper’, while the more traditional rockabilly orientated opener ‘Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me)’ shows that they have not strayed too far from their roots, despite the couple of extra nuances that rear their heads from time to time.
The music is very easily accessible to fans of rockabilly, old school rock ‘n’ roll/rhythm and blues, and even those more interested in general pop music, such is the wide appeal of both the Stray Cats and their own style of sonic landscape. It’s a strong showing for anyone with any such interests and should provide a welcome addition to the music collection of enthusiasts the world over.
- ‘40’ is released next Friday (24 May). You can get your copy HERE.
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