Bad Wizard - Sky High

by Andrew Carver

published: 17 / 5 / 2006

Label: Select Label
Format: CD

Punchy fourth album from AC/DC and MC5 inspired hard rockers, Bad Wizard

Review

The members of Bad Wizard love the music of the 1970's. AC/DC and MC5 are huge influences on the band, and fans of groups like the Pink Fairies, UFO or Blue Oyster Cult will undoubtedly dig it, man. Modern followers of the Hellacopters, Tricky Woo and the Cherry Valence will quickly recognize their musical kin. For their fourth album, in what may be the ultimate case of “why didn’t we think of this earlier?” Bad Wizard have recruited Royal Trux/RTX singer Jennifer Herrema as producer. Following her lengthy collaboration with Neil Michael Hagerty, Herrema has obviously developed a keen ear for the sonic quality of those classic 1970's rock albums, consummate skill at arranging boy-girl vocals and a knack for arranging competing guitars so they don’t crowd one another. Those intertwining guitars – be they the sizzling electrics of ‘Agent’ and ‘13x Around The World’ or the finger-picked acoustic and crunchy electric of the mellow ‘Black Navigator’ – suggest Thin Lizzy. Funky percussion - cowbell, of course, and some hand-drumming – also fill out a few songs. The vocal interplay between Curtis Brown cotton-mouthed leads and Tina Goran’s sweet, airy backing is also very strong (Royal Trux fans should also get a kick out of the echoing “heys” on ‘He’s a Rat’, practically a Trux trademark). ‘Sky High’ doesn’t waste a lot of time, making its case with nine songs in under 35 minutes – just like those classic 70;s albums – but packs plenty of punch.