Heavy Trash - Midnight Soul Serenade

by Sarah Maybank

published: 7 / 10 / 2009

Label: Bronzerat records
Format: CD

Exuberant and charismatic rockabilly on third album from Heavy Trash, the side project of Jon Spencer from the Blues Explosion

Review

With a complete disregard for any pop musical innovation that took place after about 1960, perenially cool dude Jon Spencer still delivers something that’ll have you dancing like they’re going to make it illegal this time tomorrow. Let’s make this clear, ‘Midnight Soul Serenade’ is not ‘influenced’ by rockabilly or any of its vintage-y brethren the way, say, the Cramps or Nick Cave are – in other words, by ripping it up, starting again and crafting something old-but-new. Nope, this album is truly, unashamedly, 100 per cent retro. ‘Pimento’ undulates like Marilyn Monroe sashaying up a red carpet, ‘Good Man’ is pure voodoo cabaret, and ‘Gee I Really Love You’ swoons with teen idol charm. ‘(Sometimes You Got To Be) Gentle’ has more of a punk rock vibe, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. So what makes this anything more than a handy soundtrack for mothbally Saturday afternoons spent elbow-deep in your local vintage shop clothes racks? Simply, exuberence, charisma, charm, verve and hooks. Even if you’re so deep into dubstep/funky/donk/you need specialist equipment to help you breathe, you should still give ‘Midnight Soul Serenade’ a go for the sheer good-time vibes. Don’t worry. We won’t tell your mates.

Track Listing:-

1 Gee, I Really Love You
2 Good Man
3 Bumble Bee
4 The Pill
5 Pimento
6 (Sometimes You Got to Be) Gentle
7 Isolation
8 Bedevilment
9 Sweet Little Bird
10 That's What Your Love Gets
11 In My Heart