Labels: Sympathy For The Record Industry
Review by: Mike Whelan
Okay so this albums been out for ages and if you wanted it you’d probably already have bought it “” but I’ve always been late in catching on to a good thing, for example, I’m still not watching The Sopranos, but I don’t care, I’m happy as I am.
The Von Bondies are from Detroit and it sounds like they can’t make up their minds as to who they want to sound like. “Should we be the Rolling Stones?” They must have asked on “Shallow Grave.’ “No, no lets be The Strokes!” They almost certainly yelled on “Going Down.’ But whoever they manage to be they have a sound that’s pretty “in” at the moment, think a more rhythm and bluesy The Hives or The White Stripes for a good reference. Except while I don’t like either of these bands, I do like The Von Bondies.
And that’s because while those other bands are making pop music, The Von Bondies sound exactly like a rock “n’ roll band should sound. Whether they’re scuzzy garage-rock on “Nite Train’ or just plain quality on the title track, “Lack of Communication,’ they’re making music that’s a million miles away from the turgid sound other retro-copyists are peddling right now. When I first heard The Strokes I thought this kind of music was rubbish “” but The Von Bondies have opened my eyes. They’re not good enough to make me buy a pair of flares and boogy on down to the local 70’s discotheque every week, but they’re still pretty impressive.
This is a good album all round, okay so it could do with some better production in places, but the raw effect only add to the retro-nature of the record. You might not like it, but I did.