ALEX JENKINS & THE BOMBERS – Voodoo You
DSP Records
This is the follow-up album from Alex, Tim and Mike, this time they forsake any embellishments from any other instruments relying solely on guitar, bass and drums. In the intervening two years of these album releases I can safely assure you that the band as a whole have become more confident in the manner of not only their musicianship but their musical direction as well; the pin-point focused song writing and arrangements from Alex has allowed the band to expand and develop into a powerhouse of sound and styles without losing the plot. The album kicks off, with a sparkling and strident wading guitar that towers impressively above the swampy muscular percussion and bass swathed atmosphere of Voodoo You.
They have also finely honed a sound that is wonderfully similar to the early Rockabilly and Blues Sun label releases of the early fifties, with the enthusiastically pounded drum and sweetly twanged guitar of Rebel With A Cause. Also, a pleasing little fifties country twanging, crooning tune is found in This Ol Dog in which a marvellously finger snappin’ languid and mellow feel is achieved; this atmosphere is maintained with the jaunty acoustic, dirty little ditty that is, I Wanna Big Legged Woman. While Don’t You Think I’ve Earned The Right and Charlene are hard crunching low down and dirty blues, where a harshly ringing guitar happily rides over manic and pulverising percussion. The slow burning eleven minute cheating shaggy blonde story that is, Conversation With Alex, delivers some very, very fine slow burning guitar and percussion passages within this sorry tale of woe. Recommended!
BRIAN HARMAN
