Those who know our reviews policy at SonicAbuse will know that we don’t like to review anything until we’ve listened to it carefully and repeatedly. The reason for this seemingly obvious mission statement is simply this: It’s easy to recommend an album that’s all flash and no bang after only one listen (just look at the reviews M**** H****r gave to Metallica’s ‘St Anger’ after only one listen!) and it’s just as easy to miss a stunning album by not giving it the time to develop fully and give up every nuance.
What’s all this got to do with Steve Conte? Well, Steve (guitarist for the venerable New York Dolls) has just released an album that benefits from each and every listen with its veneer of New York cool so obvious on the first listen, scratching away over time to reveal the masterfully created melodies and skilled guitar playing that hides underneath.
Opening with ‘This is the end’, a clattering, drum-led, almost-punk song that cruises is on a central, fuzzed up riff and Steve’s deceptively tuneful voice. Multi-tracked vocals in the chorus hint at The Clash, but make no mistake this album is more blues than Sid Vicious, but it’s an inspiring opening track that gets the blood pumping nicely. ‘Gypsy Cab’ is next, and it’s a personal favourite. Using the kind of riff that Quentin Tarantino likes to employ, it’s got a cool surf vibe and it surges with vitality thanks to the excellent guitar playing and the simple central melody that pick-axes its way into your brain, overcoming all resistance and lodging there for weeks. ‘Texas T’ is dirty blues, slithering out of the speakers like so much Louisiana swamp mud, but with a huge chorus that has the toe tapping before you’re even aware of what’s happening. Steve’s voice is fantastic, right up there with his exemplary guitar playing, and it fits the music perfectly.
‘The goods are odd’ features a sizzling guitar solo that wails over Steve’s vocal which, strangely, recalls Deus at their most punky. ‘Get off’ has a more bluesy feel, as Steve drawls “crawling from the wreckage of society” and a simplistic punk chorus that repeats the title before Steve launches another blues solo that takes the track back to the swamp from which it originated. ‘The truth ain’t pretty’ drags itself out of a wall of feedback and sounds like mid 90s alternative rockers Soul asylum circa their excellent ‘let your dim light shine’ album and ‘her highness’ continues that feeling with gentle guitar and a raw-throated yet melodic vocal. ‘Busload of hope’ is next, a more traditional number that weaves the sheer sex appeal of early Rolling Stones into more contemporary alternative rock with great effect and the guitar playing on this track stands out as a highlight of the album.
The bizarrely titled ‘strumpet-hearted monkey girl’ recalls the Manic Street preachers’ adrenalin-charged cover of ‘Rock and roll music’ with its fast guitar runs and clattering punk drums. ‘Indie girl’ is a soulful number with jazzy overtones that is perfect for a late-night whiskey in a smoke-filled bar in the wrong end of town and ‘junk planet’ closes the record on an emotional high, all jangling guitar mutilation and fizzing solos with a heavy chorus that would make the dead clap along in time.
Steve Conte and the crazy truth deliver on so many levels it’s hard to know where to start. Referencing all the best aspects of rock ‘n’ roll from the fifties on Steve’s managed to meld the elements in a way that sounds timeless. The production is just on the right side of raw – allowing the spontaneity to shine through without compromising on depth of sound. The icing on the cake is Steve’s talent itself, a thing of uneven beauty as he provides solos that never overpower the music but compliment it utterly, allowing the band as a whole to shine. This is a fantastic rock record with soul and passion oozing out of every pore at a time when so much music is soulless and commercially orientated. Do yourself a favour and track this gem down as soon as possible.
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