What do you get when you put together the original guitarist of The Dog’s D’Amour and the original vocalist of L.A. Guns? Magic… You get magic.
The swelling Hammond and catchy refrain of ‘Tree For Shade’ reminds you of so many things from The Stones to Dylan to The Dogs (especially that Guitar solo) but when they break it down it’s so much more. This is cracking Blues tinged Rock with Pop sensibilities and absolutely no regard for trends or fashion. just the way we like it! ‘Up For the Late Show’ that sneaks in after is Bluesy Pop of the finest order but if I’m honest it’s a mere primer for what is to come.
The guitars on ‘Blue Like the Morning’ could break a heart and the whispered lyric makes it sound like Dylan found a voice when he heard Faces! It’s a wonderful, languid song that even has glimpses of T-Rex and Bowie in their most contemplative. And if that’s not enough for you the quirky picked Dylan-esque ‘You’re Home’ hits the spot just right too.
The more you play the more you love, and the wonderfully-titled ‘High Price to Lead a Low Life’ is another slower number that has a little taste of everything you’ll love even if you didn’t know it – like a Spanish tapas, it drips Blues, even a little gospel along with the searing guitar and impassioned vocal that hit in another inspired breakdown.
‘Dead in the Water’ continues to strike gold – it’s a nice immediate dirty Stonsey Blues Boogie that juxtaposed with the poppy sing along of the title track ‘Everybody Rains on My Parade’ shows the depth of the compositions here, adding a bit of New Orleans jazz to the mix . And if that’s not enough for you the goodtime boogie of ‘Sugar Mama’ adds plenty of good times and sounds almost like a Bluesy Beatles channeling a Blues-fixated Tom Petty.
The final three are just as eloquent: ‘Mi Vida Loca’ starts all Spanish guitar and serious before shimmying into a late night close dance under the brilliant black Mexican night. By way of contrast ‘Jesus Rides a Schoolbus’ feels like Lenny Kravitz sitting down with a coffee with Tom Waits before the guitar kicks in and you realise you were right all along, as you glance back to see Bowie and Ian Hunter in the queue. It’s all rather satisfying!
‘With Regards From Hell’ the final track takes us out wonderfully with a mid-tempo Bluesy ballad that you can’t help feel the echoes of early Dogs D’amour which of course in themselves echoes of the great Blues based bands of the 70’s. It’s great.
This is a seriously cool album. I love it.
9/10