Phil Lynott is dead, long live Phil Lynott!
That sentence, or something very similar, is what springs to mind when I put the new Peepshows record into my CD player. The late, great Thin Lizzy front man will be rocking out in his grave whenever these guys play live, and let me tell you now, that is one of the biggest compliments anyone could be paid.
While Burning Heart Records were, once upon a time, a stupendous little label full of super-charged Swedish punk rock goodness, they’ve gone off the boil recently. Despite excellent releases from Bombshell Rocks and Raised Fist, a number of substandard records have sneaked out almost unnoticed (DOLL and Puffball being two of them …). Luckily, the pressure hasn’t gone to their heads, and the Peepshows have brought their excellent back catalogue back to the fore.
From start to finish, ‘Refuge For Degenerates’ soothes and excites in equal measures. The beautiful guitar work is a particular highlight, with some flawlessly executed guitar solo’s complimenting the melodies along the way, as well as the almost retro production quality and the timeless, echoing quality of Oswald’s vocals, perfectly backed up by Millencolin‘s Nikola Sarcevic on the track ‘In the Dirt’.
While the Thin Lizzy connection is clearly evident in both Oswald’s vocals and the ‘classic rock n roll’ feel of the record (just listen to the moment the vocals start in ‘Gimme Bullets’ and try and deny the fact that you were all set to break off into a rendition of ‘The Boys are Back In Town‘), the Peepshows still manage to retain an air of their own sound. There aren’t many bands successfully peddling this style of rock these days, and while owing much to their many contemporaries, this bunch of highly talented Swedes manage to bring the rock with a trademark swagger on the likes of ‘Self Degraded’ and the fantastic ‘Midnight Angels’.
While it’s difficult to pick standout tracks, such is the quality of what’s on offer here, it is simple to recognise the filler. ‘Nailed to the Ground’ seems to drag on for a whole lot longer than it’s two and a half minutes, forcing the listeners finger towards the ‘skip’ button, and ‘Monochrome 76′ starts off awkwardly, leads into a simple melody and takes what feels like an eternity to reach the chorus, which is ultimately disappointing upon it’s arrival. Luckily, these are two exceptions to the rule.
You always know a good record when you can pick from two or three tracks to either open or close the album. ‘Refuge for Degenerates’ has both openers and closers in abundance. The haunting ‘Where the Roads Have No End’ (which incidentally, should be used as a reference point for anyone who wishes to use a piano to make a good song sound great) brings to mind Nick Cave one minute, the Scorpions the next, never failing to engage the listener. While this would be perfect to close an album, the actual conclusion is handed to the ultimately more upbeat and buoyant ‘When I Fall’, finishing predictably on a high note. As for openers, ‘In the Dirt’ starts things off with a bang, despite the fact that the strut of ‘Midnight Angels’ or the garage rock swing of ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ would have both suitably grabbed the attention with equal measures of success.
While describing an album as background music would generally be termed as an insult, in a way, ‘Refuge for Degenerates’ is perfect for that. Perhaps what I mean is that this is the perfect soundtrack to a suitably rocking night out, in, or whatever. Serving up equal doses of modern day garage rock and retro rock n roll, with the added injection of punk rock swagger, ‘Refuge For Degenerates’ is a meaty slab of pure rock excellence.
Ross