The Quireboys – Amazing Disgrace
The Quireboys – Amazing Disgrace
Off Yer Rocka Recordings
Release Date: 05/04/2019
Running Time: 46:25
Review by Paul Monkhouse
Rating: 10/10
The Quireboys aren’t strangers to the knocks and scrapes of rock ‘n’ roll but it’s been an unbelievably long, hard road to get this album out due to the ongoing issues with Pledge Music, initially the chosen platform for this release. Thankfully you can’t keep a good band down and due to the immense hard work by the band, their team and the fans this has now come out and stands as a testament to their street fighting spirit. Driven by a passion to stretch themselves, “Amazing Disgrace” shows a band that’s both fearless and incredibly fresh, highlighting their undoubted flair for writing great and timeless songs.
From the opening notes of ‘Original Black-Eyed Son’, this is something really special. The song wastes no time in getting into a great riff and it just keeps on growing with some superb keys, Stax-like brass and female backing vocals adding to a fantastic, dirty rock ‘n’ roll barroom number that has both grit and polish. Really setting their stall out, you know that just two minutes into this that it’s an album The Quireboys can be proud of. Whilst the band can really rock out when they want to, as anyone who’s seen their electrifying live shows can attest, this release broadens their palette and adds some real colour but doesn’t sacrifice any of their fire. Next track ‘Sinner’s Serenade’ perfectly highlights this with it’s powerful, big start and yet more layers of sound as it really drives along, propelled by some teeth rattling drums and some superb slide guitar at the end.
Already a firm live favourite, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ has a funky strut and the peerless guitar work of Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin as they show off the sonic swagger that has a real stake in proving their confidence whilst not being too flash. This is also echoed in the titular ‘Amazing Disgrace’ that boasts a real late 60’s / early 70’s vibe as Spikes distinctive vocals dances throughout and the track ends by morphing into Southern Hard Rock. Yet another bold change of pace comes with ‘Eve of the Summertime’, a beautifully crafted ballad, that is ice cream sweet and sparkles with sunshine whilst retaining an edge. Very evocative of that season, you could hear it any time of the year and immediately be transported to those hazy, lazy days where life just consisted of sitting on a beach, drinking beer with your friends.
‘California Blues’ picks up the pace again and is a perfect reminder of why the band was chosen to support Guns ‘n’ Roses and the Stones. This would be the perfect soundtrack to cruising along Sunset Strip and you can clearly picture the band whipping up the crowds at the Whisky in downtown L.A. ‘This Is It’ brings an almost country feel and expands on the great storytelling that Spike and Co excel at. Boasting some more very fine keys from Keith Weir, this also benefits from some excellent fiddle playing and if you wince at the mere mention of that instrument then this track will surely convert you. ‘Feels Like A Long time’ brings back a Rolling Stones feel and is tailor made for playing at massive stadiums to a sea of people, waving arms held aloft in appreciation of its grandeur.
Yet more swagger and stomp form the brilliant ‘Slave Number One’, its chugging riff building into a juggernaut that shows that you don’t need to be full-on to be heavy. ‘Dancing in Paris’ is another great ballad, its fragile and tender vocals matched perfectly to the tasteful and tasty guitar work. The album closes with a bang as ‘Medusa My Girl’ boils out of the speakers. Incredibly powerful, this is a maelstrom of instruments that warn of a coming storm that continues to get darker as Spikes howls through the wind and rain. With a real Celtic feel, the Quireboys have chosen the perfect track to end the album and yet again show why they are one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands this country has ever produced. The Quireboys may, at times, have been heavier than this release but they have never been better. As they say themselves: “This is Rock ‘n’ Roll”. One of the most vital albums of the year, you need ‘Amazing Disgrace’ in your collection.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Original Black Eyes Son
02. Sinners Serenade
03. Saven Deadly Sins
04. Amazing Disgrace
05. Eve Of The Summertime
06. California Blues
07. This Is It
08 Feels Like A Long Time
09. Slave #1
10. Dancing In Paris
11. Medusa My Girl
LINKS:
http://quireboys.com/
https://www.facebook.com/quireboys/
Tweets by TheQuireboys
https://www.instagram.com/thequireboys/
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Monkhouse and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
