Monday 30 January 2012

X-Ray Cat Trio - Hail, Hail EP


Leeds’ finest psychobilly/rockabilly band X Ray Cat Trio have finally gotten round this month to putting out an EP after a long time spent gaining a strong fan base by dint of their frantic live performances – there’s a good chance if you frequent Leeds shows, that you’ll have seen them in a cramped  dive bar or sweatpit venue. As such, they have a fairly extensive back catalogue to choose from, but this record is short, sweet and none the worse for it – four tracks of surf tinged psychobilly and rock and roll that tips its hat to early Tiger Army (before the turn to sub-Morrissey drivel) alongside older stars in the rockabilly canon. The title track (which some of you may have heard accompanying one of the montages on the recent DVD that came with Sidewalk magazine) opens the record, with a big shout-a-long chorus and a breakneck pace, before slowing down towards the end into a chugging reprise which punctuates the song nicely. The rest of the EP does nothing to let up, and each song continues with well-crafted harmonies, talented musicianship and a swaggering, whiskey redolent air that makes you wish you were sitting in a bar with a shot and beer chaser. A strong opening shot from these lads, looking forward to hearing more!
4/5
Jono

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