Unexpectedly finding themselves on a major label thanks to Arm's day-job band, the members of
Bloodloss carried on as before, still working with Jim Collier as producer and still dedicated to amped-up, brutally trashy fun. Renestair sounds like a showman in hell, able to work the crowd with Vegas charm even while sounding like Wolfman Jack after having gargled steel wool. When it comes to his sax playing, Coltrane's ghost might not be troubled, but he gives everything a good load of funky grease that fits the general mood. Everyone else follows suit musically, especially Bland with his smooth then rough drumming, giving a sense of a broken-down nightclub at midnight where looking at the shady characters in the corner for too long can be rather hazardous. While most might come to this album looking for Arm, he steps back from the spotlight except on the hilarious "The Truth Is Marching In"; otherwise, it's Renestair and Bland's show first and foremost, and they put on a good one. The first number in certainly pulls no punches -- "Frank's Wig" tackles the subject of
Frank Sinatra's hair with little kowtowing to the man and an energetic overall feel neo-swing bands could probably never approach. Other subjects given the black humor
Bloodloss treatment are Woodstock 1994 and its attendant cultural idiocies ("Face Down in Mud," with some great tremolo guitar psychedelics from Arm), backwoods skinheads ("Cue Balls of Idaho"), and negative critics ("Happy Birthday You Dork," which ranks on up there with the
Sex Pistols' "Did You No Wrong" when it comes trashing such types). "(All I Get Is Your) Dissatisfaction" concludes things with what is allegedly a response song to the Stones' classic by quoting
Bob Marley and projecting bad attitude to the max. ~ Ned Raggett