Album Review: Rob Moss And Skin-Tight Skin – We’ve Come Back To Rock n’ Roll

There’s an adage – ‘If you *used* to be punk, then you never were’ – that came to mind when Rob Moss returned to music after a 35+ year hiatus. He explains: “Years ago I played in Government Issue and Artificial Peace as well as some bands before that. And then I stopped playing for a long time. Until now.”

You can take the guy out of punk rock..

With ‘We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Moss has distilled a youthful essence into 14 tracks that sneer, stomp and strut, serving  as canvases for 14 guest guitarists to let rip over.  As a collective resumé  – Generation X, Government Issue, Wilco, Velvet Monkeys, Dinosaur Jr, Scream, Foo Fighters, Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, Fear, The Four Horsemen, Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band, Smash Fashion, The Slickee Boys – the list is extensive and impressive (and noted HERE). It says a lot about Moss himself that he assembled such a squad of musicians..friends (?).. to partake, and it translates into a ‘good time’ feel across the whole record.

It opens with the steady riffing of ‘Babble Tower’; Moss berating those who find it hard to talk sense; handclaps *are* included. ‘Ugly Chair’ follows, with its fuzzed-up 50’s feel, and on the even more direct ‘There’s My Ride’, Moss’s throaty snarl epitomises bad-boy cool: “Maybe I’ll see you around.” Adding to the fun vibes, he’s not afraid to throw humour into the mix, like on the swaggering ‘Got My Ass Stuck in A Tree’ – “got my balls stuck in a vice, it happens when I take my advice,” paints a pretty picture.  A trio of glam-tinged stampers carry the album along with a punch: ‘No 48 Crash’, ‘Oxygenate’ (garnished with organ) and ‘Black is White’ are vehicles for structured, but intuitive songwriting – they are easy to follow, but there’s work gone into making them sound so simplistic and immediate. ‘Real Fine Kitty’ harks back to rock n’ roll romance, but with the twist of Moss and his sweetheart bemoaning how life turned out for them after the date nights and diner lights have dimmed. ‘Push Back’ and ‘Tony Alva’s Pictures’ feel like they have a bit of a harder edge, with ‘A Maltese Falcon’ playing more to a ‘classic’ sound.

..but you can’t take punk rock out of the guy..

The closing trinity of tracks honour Moss’s love of music, as a fan, not just a creator. We catch him “sitting in the basement, reading liner notes..losing track of time..” in ‘Life at 33 1/3 RPM’, as he reels of numerous acts of influence. ‘We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll’ sounds euphoric; sounds like a man enjoying himself. And then, as he’s endeared himself and won us over across the last 13 songs, Moss proclaims ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll is Dead’.

Until he returns again?

Like catchy, elementary tunes with a playful, nostalgic edge? ‘We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is available through Bandcamp. They are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to follow.