To grasp the fact that alt-rockers The Dandy Warhols have been active for twenty years is hard enough, two decades in they still churn out stuff that happens to do what it says on the tin.
This studio record does not dishearten. ‘Rockmaker’ is heavy yet melodic, making use of wah-wah guitar pedalling and overriding fuzz, a mind unwaveringly set on hippy psych.
In magnificent company, joined by a feted list of rock royalty comprising of Slash, Debbie Harry and Black Francis, things always were set to go down a treat.
It’s no wonder this raw rock concoction works so splendidly. While the absence of a ‘Bohemian Like You’ or ‘Everyday Should Be A Holiday’ equivalent initially feels like a slap in the face, a letdown of proportion, the feeling is so short-lived and evaporates as quickly as it got there.
Because this album is rich, its tight textures and layers of volume satisfy any cravings for light swagger. Dark opener, the lingering ‘The Doomsday Bells’ is unexpected but distinctly infectious, before Pixies frontman Black Francis appears on ‘Danzig With Myself’. It’s time to bring in lighter vibes with ‘Teutonic Wine’, when Courtney Taylor-Taylor steps in to put his stamp on it all, delivering a catchy chorus.
‘I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem’ is a grand moment. Slash’s acidic, piercing four minutes-eighteen seconds absorb with intensity, there’s a feeling this track could have been longer without anyone noticing. Quite luckily, the feast doesn’t end there.
Electronic number ‘Alcohol and Cocainemarijuananicotine’ is a pulsating affair that transfixes, before Debbie Harry moment, the seductive ‘I Will Never Stop Loving You’, offers mesmeric rock nostalgia.
‘Rockmaker’ is an experience of the addictive kind, a fitting reminder of what’s terrific about the Portland band, and it offers something novel, something blistering.
7/10
Words: Susan Hansen
