We all have those day when shit seems to be consistently hitting our fans and when the sun shines bright but in our heads a thick fogginess exists, well suffer no more as we may well have found something that, if not totally alleviating those days, will at least take the edges off of them. That something comes in the shape of an album from an outfit whose music is the perfect fit for party minded rock fans, a music that has been inspired by bands like The MC5, The Stooges, Hawkwind and Led Zeppelin but is also infused with the fuzziness and distorted drive of the early desert rock scene. The band in question go by the name of The Freeks and were originally a project put together by founding father of both Fu Manchu and Nebula Ruben Romano, a project that also included contributions from such notable musicians as Earthless' Isaiah Mitchell, Kyuss' Scott Reeder and ex Monster Magnet man John McBain. Over time what was a fun project has, with a number of line-up changes, become a bone-fide band with the latest line up of Romano (drums), Ray Piller (bass); Jason Huebner (vocals); Jonathan Hall (guitar/vocals) and Robert Tripp (synth) being the architects responsible for the bands latest album "Studio/Live II" (Glory Or Death Records) a collection of songs that serve as an upbeat and joyous musical remedy for a whole variety of ills.
Things kick off with "Real Gone", here we have a song that at its root is both punkish and sleazy but one that hides its roots between undulating layers of fizzy fuzz guitar and Hawkwind-esque synthesised swirliness pushed hard by bouncy grizzled bass and tight busy drumming. Vocals on this number, and for most of the rest of the album, are of the clean gritty and ever so slightly sneered variety which enhances the overall punk/garage feel the band are so obviously striving for with their music. The Freeks go for a more MC5 vibe with "Played For Keeps", the songs driving groove, and also its garage style vocal melody, is of a type we have probably heard played by various bands a thousand times over but that does not make it any less enjoyable, in fact The Freeks take on that tried and tested groove is probably the best we at Desert Psychlist have ever had the pleasure of listening to. "Hellotropic Phenomenon" follows and is a brief but nonetheless interesting space-like instrumental featuring beeping synth effects and off-kilter guitar textures played over a fairly straightforward bass and drum groove and is followed by "Arrived Tonight" a tune that sees the The Freeks really getting their "funk thang" on with Hall knocking out choppy Wah drenched chord and lead work ably supported by Romano's tight busy drumming and Piller's low slung bass over and around which Tripp winds all manner of delicious synthesised weirdness, Huebner putting the cherry on this particular cake with a clean yet nicely gritted vocal that ticks all the boxes needed ticking. Now Desert Psychlist find ourselves in a bit of a quandary at this point with us struggling to decide whether it is "Jaqueline Can't Decide", "Hypnotise My Heart" or "American Lightening" that is our favourite track on "Studio/Live II", though to be fair each song possesses its own unique array of charms, the first song bringing elements of 60's pop psych into play, the second a Monster Magnet meets Nebula hybrid spliced together with early Hollywood like space effects and the third a feral and forceful hodgepodge of garage, punk and hard rock taken to another level by scorching lead work and furious drumming. Next up is a cover of a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart of the UK band The Liverpool Five but first released by Paul Revere & the Raiders and which has also been covered by both The Monkees and The Sex Pistols, the song is of course "Stepping Stone" and The Freeks absolutely nail it! Penultimate number "Weirdness" is force of nature in itself, a maelstrom of furious rock'n'roll ferality decorated in synthesised bleeps, bloops and squeals over which manic vocals and scorching dissonant edged lead guitar are deployed like tactical weaponry. All parties come to an end and there are many occasions when those parties will finish with just a few remaining people sitting among the carnage singing something down-home and melancholy as is represented here with the achingly homely "Car Hiss By My Window" a slow blues best listened to nursing the start of a hangover as the sun slowly peeps its sleepy head above the horizon.
Recorded live in the studio The Freeks "Studio/Live II" captures the sound of a band on their A game, a band able to place every drum beat, guitar and bass note, vocal inflection and synthesised squawk exactly where they want it to be yet do so while still managing to sound like they are making it up as they are go along, In summing up The Freeks have, with "Studio/Live", made the album every fun loving party throwing rock fan needs to have in their collection.
Check it out ....
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