Who'da thunk that a bar band from Akron, Ohio could self-produce a down and dirty rock album this authentic?Yes, I've spoken before about bar bands, and how they are some of the most basic examples of pure rock and roll abandon. That's not to say that they're all successful at capturing this classic mode of music, just that when it is done well, it's uniquely satisfying. And so goes it for the Akron, Ohio-based rockers The Unclean. Their sophomore album, The Eagle, continues their efforts in the time-honored tradition of "no-frills, riff-heavy blues-based anthems" which is loosely associated with the retro sound that is en vogue these days. It's like ZZ Top and Motörhead's kids met in high school and skipped classes playing tunes in George Thorogood's garage.
I don't say "retro" in a perjorative sense, seeing as I've reviewed a lot of new bands with this old sound and generally like what I'm hearing. What I really dig about The Unclean is their self-reliance. Having played in the smallest of dive bars for years, rather than waiting around for record companies to come calling, they honed their live sound to a razor's edge and captured that on the album themselves (as in DIY production). If I have to find anything wrong with it...uhh...lead singer "Bremmy" (sound familiar?) needs to smoke a lot more cigarettes to get that voice just right.
The Bottom Line: Great bands like Motörhead can't stick around forever, and if someone has to pick up their torch, The Unclean is one of the many throwing their hat into the ring with thrust of their hip and swig of the bottle, in classic rock and roll fashion. Hell, I'll drink to that.
Tracks to Possibly Cause Spontaneous Moustache Growth: On We Go, Live For The Day, Away Too Long, Strange Kind Of Living and Been Gone
- Genghis will never be seen in public without a shirt on, and that's a promise...