Hitsville Drunks - Sincerely Average

by Adrian Huggins

published: 8 / 4 / 2014

Label: Starman Records
Format: CD

Over-long and self-parodying debut album from Hitsville Drunks, the new band of dEUS guitarist Mauro Pawlowski

Review

This odd album is the brainchild of one of Belgium’s ‘most versatile songwriters’ Mauro Pawlowski, who has spent the last 10 years with dEUS. Prior to that he was part of 90’s band Evil Superstars. Now clearly at a cynical stage in his life and career, he has set about making something more relaxed and carefree and the result is ‘Sincerely Average'. The title alone almost goads you into saying, “Well, yes, it is,” but I’ll try and be a bit more grown up about it. This is an album played and recorded perfectly, brimming with radio friendly rock songs that recall the likes of the Foo Fighters ilk but which also definitely nod to classic rock and bands such as Boston and REO Speedwagon. It is slick in its delivery, and it is obvious right from the start that Pawlowski and his band of drunks have a great knack for a hook. This album is written and delivered with enormous tongue-in-cheek, and is brutally self-aware to the point where it’s not funny anymore. There are some great moments where they pull off exactly what they were intending to such as on ‘Clean Adult Fun’ and ‘Retro Artist’, but it is also littered with moments in which they try too hard not to take themselves seriously enough and end up inadvertently parodying themselves inadvertently. There’s a sharp wit at play throughout, but sometimes it lacks that subtlety that makes something genuinely amusing. All too often they spell things out in a painfully obvious way. It does have a certain charm to it though, and, if this were trimmed down by about half, I think it would be a fantastic EP that manages to encapsulate one man’s cynicism perfectly. There’s an air of Art Alexis of Everclear about Pawlowski, and his almost spoken vocals are thoroughly enjoyable at moments, At others times, while they are amusing no doubt to the man himself, they are often clichéd and unimaginative and fall into ‘Sincerely Average’ territory. Alas, I have probably fallen right into the trap set but what the hell! I did genuinely enjoy about half of this album and would imagine that they are a thoroughly entertaining band to witness live. It would be wrong, therefore, to discount Hitsville Drunks completely.

Track Listing:-

1 High Culture
2 Don't Tell Her
3 Clean Adult Fun
4 Calm Love
5 Doing Fine
6 Sincerely Average
7 Never a Strange Man
8 Retro Artist
9 I Was Never There
10 You Got Me Working