"Kill The Funk" is a very strong album debut from Melbournian power duo Evil Twin. Members Jared Mattern on guitar and vocals, and Chris Beechy on drums have exploded onto the global rock scene with a generous offering of 11 solid bluesy rock tracks from what initially started off as a humble jam session.
Their format is wonderfully raw and the songs, while seemingly stripped down to basics, actually draw from a wealth of rock n' roll history. Hints of Louisiana blues mixed with Memphis rockabilly are what I hear with each repeat listen. The fuzzy guitar sound is ballsy and brash yet surprisingly well-defined and the drums are crisp and bright. It's really quite impressive how full their sound is.
The album opens with a driving toe-tapper in "Come and Go" and switches to a traditional blues standard inspired "Get a Rope". I love the punchy build up and the witty lyrics in the title track "Kill the Funk", and although "Country" starts off sounding fairly common it quickly makes a welcome detour into unpredictable territory. Jared lets loose on the vocals a little more towards the end which really adds to this track. "Skeletons" lures me in with its intriguing and poetic lyrics and elements of rockabilly punk come alive in "Sticky Fingers". "Ease the Mind" is a beautiful song with a very memorable opening riff. "Devil In Her Eyes" reigns back in the big chords and pounding rock rhythm, reminding me a little of an older Rolling Stones number, and "Rollin'" is a foot-stomping, southern rocker. "Loungecore" reminds me a little of Cream and the dramatic yet poignant anthem "Turned Away" closes this excellent album.
The limitations of this small band really push their creative envelope. I've been resisting the temptation to compare them with the White Stripes. Jared's vocal style is somewhat similar in tone and range to Jack White's but that's really the only comparison. Evil Twin draw much more heavily on a blues foundation, and with each album they put out I can see them continuing to push the envelope even further and evolving their sound with the arsenal of talent that they already possess.
Richard Leggatt, HMS
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