The Netherlands'
Sixty Nine Charger makes their full-length debut with
Trash Deluxe! (Stardumb), a title that's like an oath for greasy garage punks of this sort. Kindred spirits of the group include
Puffball,
the Riverboat Gamblers, and
Guitar Wolf -- an international cadre of acts committed to finding the hot cross between
Motörhead, Memphis rock & roll, and gleaming butterfly knives.
Sixty Nine Charger's lead vocalist channels a lot of
Glenn Danzig, particularly on cuts like "Wildfire" and "Black Sunday Stomp," but with boozy abandon instead of glowering shows of force. "Stranded" kicks things off strong, all (barely) two minutes of it; "No Luck at All" and "With Another Man" continue the trend towards brevity. Most of
Trash Deluxe!'s dynamics come from interplay between the manic drumming and dueling power chords, though
the Chambers Brothers cover "All Strung Out" does offer some cool backup harmonies and an overdriven soul backbeat, proving that
the Chargers have chops beyond their usual cacophony. Then again, from their own name to that of their debut LP,
Sixty Nine Charger doesn't apologize for their musical lineage, and probably doesn't have to worry about offending unprepared listeners.
Trash Deluxe! lacks consistent hooks, but it rocks with fervent, free beer-like energy. And there's nothing wrong with that. ~ Johnny Loftus