Husbands - Introducing Husbands

  by Cara Ross

published: 28 / 10 / 2003

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Review

And all the cool girls rejoice! -because it’s a girl group from Swami Records...and about time, too.  The San Diego label Swami Records is the brainchild of all things Rocket from the Crypt, Sultans, and Hot Snakes-y.  And yes, I mean John Reis. The Husbands are a solid garage three-piece, and play songs the way I like ‘em-Short and growly.  The three San-Diego bred mademoiselles involved here are: Sadie Shaw, Sarah Reed and Nikki Sloate, and on gleaning the liner notes, one notices that there have been a few line-up changes (not unlike similar Detroit 3-piece garage girl group the Gore Gore Girls) and not the least of whose members once upon a time included Tina Lucchesi, a personal idol of mine from Bobbyteens, Trashwomen, Tina and the Total Babes and more recently Deadly Weapons fame.  With that stamp I am sold no matter what this record holds, BUT I will save my waxing poetically about Tina for a more appropriate time...we are talking about the Husbands here, after all. When I first heard Swami was releasing this I was instantly jazzed about it (I’m sorry, I know I am turning into my mother when I use the expression “jazzed”), and much like anything John Reis has a hand in or truthfully even “approves of” I know I will probably like.  The Husbands are no exception.  I am excited about them the same way I was excited about Maow in the early nineties.  Which also begs me having to say, that there is still room for improvement here.  But that’s not a bad thing, by any means, and clearly begets the foundation for a truly solid garage act. Again, I won’t go on about the whole modern-day garage girl groups doing the 60's girl group R&B thing as being DONE, because the truth is that I’m glad it’s being done, and I’m more than happy to make John Reis our new Phil Spector (minus the millions, flash suits, and well, crimes against women and Ramones alike).  Because these are songs that I like to listen to.  Their spin on the Barbarians 'Take It or Leave it' makes me wanna pull out my 80's Holly and the Italians records, and while their cover of 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow ?' (popularized by the Shirelles) sounds a little too Joan Jett to make it quite right, they do an excellent cover of Bo Diddley’s 'Cadillac', and an apt rendition of the Drifters’ "There Goes My Baby'.  And while I don’t think they do it quite as well as the Gore Gore Girls, and think with 14 songs clocking in somewhere around 24 minutes, a full SIX of which are covers, that there are not enough originals, I do also feel confident in saying that their next release will ultimately have more substance.  The originals they do have here definitely leave me wanting more.  But mostly I just hope and pray they’ll do a Betty Harris cover next...she needs some props too....and avoid the whole “sexy” girl group schtick -- the boys don’t need to do it...

Track Listing:-

1 Orphan Boy
2 In The Basement
3 Swept Aside
4 Nobody But Him
5 Cadillac
6 I Got Plans
7 Take It Or Leave It
8 Deep In My Heart
9 I'm Doing Fine
10 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
11 Dirty Mouth
12 Better Watch Out
13 We're The Husbands
14 There Goes My Baby