Thee Headcoats
I Am The Object Of Your Desire
(Buff Medway)
Common knowledge says that there's a smattering of garage bands in every city across the United States and probably clear across the entire globe. While some of them kick around tunes that would probably cause convulsions if ever played on the radio, some bands (although not really doing too much of anything different from the pack) gain a following and sometimes even make it big. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is a pretty good example of a junk-rock band that has taken off, if by sheer enthusiasm alone (and some damn catchy tunes), while Southern Culture On The Skids have also gained a loyal following through a heaping helping of humour and some smart songcraft as well.
Although Thee Headcoats don't really sound particularly like either of the bands mentioned above, they do fall into sort of the same category with their rough-around-the-edges production and playing of the garage style rawk. As a group, they've been fairly prolific and the man behind the group (Billy Childish) has done some collaborative work as well. Basically, Thee Headcoats play straight-up rock and roll music with the standard trio of instruments, with a couple other things like a harmonica and a touch of violin thrown in for a smidge of backing.
The album kicks right off with the album titled track and some super jangling guitars and sort of fuzzed vocals by Childish (an effect that is repeated on many songs throughout the album) that lead into several iterations of a beefed-up sing along chorus. The group keeps this sort of mid tempo riffage going for the next couple of tracks until things really take off on the speedy "In A Dead Man's Suit" and the heavy swagger of "Chatham Town Welcomes Desperate Men."
Despite the crooning of Childish and laid-back feel of "Great Grandfather" and the stripped-down "I'm A Desperate Man," the album doesn't really stray too much from the basic formula of fuzzy vocals and dirty rock and roll with a touch of surf rock. I guess if it's not broken, don't try to fix it.
Rating: 6
