God damn! There must be something in the water in and around the Chicago area 'cause they are churning out one shit hot classic rock band after another. In the past few years the classic rock junkie in me has been wearing out copies of albums from The Steepwater Band and Hollus. Now with The Dirty Rooks and their new album Sugar Mama I've found myself another great new group to throw into my heavy rotation of 70's influenced rock.
I've got to hand to these guys because they go for it full throttle right from the opening grimy chords on "Skeleton Key" as vocalist Dan Stalilonis pours his heart and soul and anything else he's got into every note while the huge organ swells add color and warmth underneath lead guitarist Mike Bailey who rips off a series of extended and truly smoking solos. The title track is a furious barnburner tailored made for the live stage while the bands liberal use of a three piece horn section and soulful female backing vocals on "Larry's Blues" and the muscular, greasy R&B groove of "No Mercy" sound like they could have easily have been lifted off of Exile On Main Street or Sticky Fingers. Throw in a couple of contemplative ballads "So It Seems" and "Strangers These Days" along with shorter and more playful tracks " I Don't Mind" and "Rabbit Hole" and you have all the makings of an extremely diverse sounding album from top to bottom.
I've said it before but I love it when a new band like The Dirty Rooks comes along and clearly proves to everyone that they've done their homework. By tapping into the vintage 70's vibe of bands like The Stones and The Faces and incorporating it into their own unique brand of high octane rock and blues, they ultimately arrive at something that they can truly call their own.
Track Listing
1) Skelton Key
2) Sugar Mama
3) Larry's Blues
4) I Don't Mind
5) So It Seems
6) Old Mill Creek
7) No Mercy
8) Stranger These Days
9) Walk Down To The Water
10) Rabbit Hole
11) The Rules
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
