the ENTHUSIASTS "Sinkin/Risin" 7inch

     You ever hear one of those bad ass hard rockin' classic rock songs that makes you want to roll down the windows to the car, crank up the radio loud and peel rubber on the pavement? Then when the song is over you wish they would play it again and wonder "How come there aren't any bands out there doing it like THIS any more?"
     It may lead you on a search for tips that bands that are. Or at least trying because most of the time those tips seem a little off the point and the bands sound like clowns trying to hard to sound like a bar band Foghat with a half a produce section stuffed down their pants with a dude who cites Glenn Danzig's solo albums and the dork from the Cult as his "lead vocalist" influences. Boogie with with out the sway. ROCK music without the ROLL. It sounds contrived and not like they are paying tribute to they're dad's record collection but actually mocking it.
      Then there's tunes like "Sinkin'/Risin'" by the Enthusiasts. Though first impressions from the sleeve cover and and the band name it seems the hailing an hour north from NYC's Enthusiasts have one foot planted ankle deep in lo-fi garage punk singles of the late 90's/early 00's-it's also sounds as though they have been buried neck deep in Blue Cheer and James Gang records.
     And instead of sounding like they are mining the biker bar and back water burn-out rocker sound as some backlash to whatever "war on hipster" sound they are pissed off at-they sound sincere in simply celebrating guitar solo abounds meat and potatoes (and cans of tallboys beer) rock-n-roll.
     Kicking off with a huge splat of guitar feedback the tunes gives to a big power trio pummel where 60's boogie rock gave way to something a bit more sick and spilled seeds that would lead to the roots of Heavy Metal. The guitar slingin' singer knows he'll never be some golden god so never bothered practicing trying to sing high notes so instead spent lots of time smoking brown weed and wondering what Joe Walsh would do if he was born 40 years later and being an occasional whipping boy on the Terminal Boredom forums.
     Flip it over for "Joanne" and the pace is a little slower chug starting off as it 60's psych-blues ballad before gaining momentum into some kinda '74 pre-punk blaster.
https://www.facebook.com/EnthusiastsNY     

Comments

Jeff said…
Good Review, these guys are fuckin sweet.