Kurt Baker. A name that is like the stamp of quality on any product of value like a watermark of exceptional craftmanship and a name you should never walk on by if someone offers you the chance to listen to one of his records. If its solo, Kurt Baker Trio or Bullet Proof Lovers take our advice and check hi out.
Now previously I picked up the Bullet Proof Lovers when I found out who was on it and loved every second of every track and when I found out I’d missed the Self Titled EP and especially as it was on the exceptional ghost Highway I was ashamed and made myself stay back for rock and roll detention and write I promise not to miss another Bullet Proof Lovers record release again 1000 times. Now the detention was helped on the grounds that I had the self-titled EP on loop whilst I carried out my punishment.
It’s not all about Baker mind (although I bet he could make this record by himself write it, play it, record it and bloody well press it himself as well) he is ably assisted knocking out all this good time Rock and Roll noise by Luiyi Costa (Txorlitohead, Lolas Club), Joseba Arza (Brigada Criminal, Señor No, Ladislao), Gonzalo Ibañez (Nuevo Catecismo Católico, La Perrera) and Juan Irazu (Discipulos de Dionisos, Gran Yate Especial). The downside is it’s only five tracks. I hear you and feel your pain (what are they thinking?) Five tracks? C’mon I know it should carry a govt health warning this shit is more addictive than crack and cigarettes but it’s not at all bad for you (unless you dent your bank balance).
‘Razor-Sharp’ is all uptempo rockpile rock n boogie with a great powerpoppin’ melody you know exactly what you want from Kurt Baker. The guitars are beefy and the rhythm is tight and punchy. ‘Under Pressure’ isn’t the Queen Bowie cover (mores the pity, Imagine that?) It’s another stonking uptempo rocker fro the Lovers. ‘The Neon Bomb’ is rock and roll and if Giuda wrote this people would be wetting their double denim over how good it is from the BV’s to the barroom piano to the breakdown again, top stuff.
You can stamp your feet and clap your hands to ‘I Don’t Wanna Want No More’ and if you want to get your head around a comparison then think Biters at their best and if Tuk ever wanted to co-write with someone who knows his way around a power-pop melody then he couldn’t find anyone better than Kurt Baker unless he was busy then he’d go visit Cheap Trick.
To take this bad boy home; ‘Fist Full Of Dirt’ is up. and this should be the end of side A, not the end of the EP you bad boys. cool as a polar bear perched on an ice cube Bullet Proof Lovers must know they’ve penned a good un here and you should make sure you give it a listen. There’s no point coming this far and then you don’t check it out. You can thank me laters until then I’m gonna go turn this bad boy up again. Bye!
RPMONLINE.CO.UK
