King Tuff - King Tuff
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 27 / 6 / 2012
Label:
Sub Pop
Format: CD
intro
Flawed and derivative, but immensely appealing pop on second album from Californian singer-songwriter, King Tuff
Californian King Tuff's jolly upbeat sixties pop is a canny blend of hooks, summer harmony vocals and lightweight chords. There is no genuine highlight on this second album. Tracks such as 'Stranger' rely too much on impersonating both Marc Bolan's nasal sneering vocals and Alan Vega's shrieking yell. King Tuff did grow up on the right stuff though. The album does make a fine listen yet I would like to have heard words and vocals of much greater clarity, in the same way that both Chris Stamey and Alex Chilton immediately caught your attention with their forcefulness. When King Tuff is, however, at his most upfront on 'Hit & Run', I thought he sang "healing nun". This pastiche of great, mainly American pop music is though rather tremendous.Skiffle, indie, psycho blues and even melodic synth pop are all there yet in the end, you simply want him to be clearer spoken. An entry to my 2012 top 50 albums nevertheless!
Track Listing:-
1 Anthem2 Alone & Stoned
3 Keep On Movin'
4 Unusual World
5 Bad Thing
6 Loser's Wall
7 Stranger
8 Baby Just Break
9 Stupid Superstar
10 Evergreen
11 Swamp Of Love
12 Hit & Run
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/kingtuffy/https://www.subpop.com/artists/king_tuff.html
https://twitter.com/kingtuffy
Label Links:-
https://www.subpop.com/https://www.facebook.com/subpoprecords
https://plus.google.com/+subpop
https://twitter.com/subpop
http://subpop.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/subpoprecords
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesPhilip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Deep Purple - =1
Bill Wyman - Drive My Car
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Popstar - Obscene
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart