Heavy Trash Midnight Soul Serenade (Bronzerat)
2/5
By: Bronya Francis
Heavy Trash probably intended Midnight Soul Serenade to be decidedly retro - references to the two Elvis’ and other ‘60s hound dogs are somewhat apparent in this record - nevertheless, these were bad intentions that resulted in a thoroughly irrelevant album. Perhaps we’re wrong; maybe ‘60s blues and Americana will come into vogue in the next six months, but that is looking highly unlikely (we’ve checked the schedule).
Rockabilly music is quite dead now, unfortunately, and Heavy Trash are relentlessly trying to revive it. However, to breathe life into an ancient genre of music, you have to add a twenty-first century kick to it to put it on a new pedestal; sadly, this has not happened with the music of Midnight Soul Serenade, which sounds like a rootsy cover band who decided to record some of their imitations.
Take ‘That’s What Your Love Gets’; the walking bass plods along tiredly for most of the track, and not unlike many of the other tracks on the album, vocalist Jon Spencer (the very same, yes) talks his way through the odd line, as in ‘(Sometimes You Got To Be) Gentle’ in the middle of which he preaches “Join me/ step into this fear/ and feel the hair/ feel the hair/ I want you/ Why you looking at me strange?/ Why you looking at me like that?/ Don’t you understand?” No, Jon, I don’t understand.
It’s a niche market, Americana roots revival- a niche market I don’t particularly want to buy into.
Artists in this article: Heavy Trash
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