Black Bombers – Vive La Révolution

I have to admit I was witness to The Black Bombers live back in 2021 at The Westgarth Club in Middlesbrough, and at the time was not fully aware of the band. That was a less than memorable occasion for myself (I think I was a little under the weather at the time) and I did not get how good this band was, and has been, from that single performance, so here is my chance to make amends and take a much more considered listen to this Garage Rock band from the Midlands. The band has now swelled from a three piece back then, to a quartet now, with the addition of Steve Crittall who has in his past supported Bowie as a member of The Name, been a UK Sub and also plays alongside Alvin Gibbs in Disobedient Servants, so the pedigree will most certainly add so much to the DNA of this band’s sound. 

The revolution is about to become a reality and this album turns a page for this band, ten tracks that bring a sound that somehow has all the history of Rock N Roll, Punk, Rock, Garage, Indie, yet still manages to be something that stands alone in its raw immersive power. This is music that has a place in that side draw of your collection, the one that you reserve for the different or non pigeonholed, the likes of Iggy, Patti Smith or Bowie come to mind, but then this is also music that could also sit along side all the grunge and garage albums. Take a listen to ‘Pretty Boy’ for example, it has that Iggy trash sound, yet it has flavours of The Stranglers darkest moments too. You roll through this album with ease, it never throws a sledgehammer at your head, but it still manages to hit the soul quite deeply with its thoughtful lyrics and moments of surreal musical psychedelia, just go listen to ‘Sometimes’, but then you’re hit with their very cool cover of David Bowie‘s ‘Boys Keep Swinging’, this is where you feel. Is this what the band are trying to strive towards all along in the approach to this album, that’s unlikely, but it does make some sense that this cover puts the finishing touch to the album. 

If you ever see a band live and for whatever reason they don’t impress or leave you wanting more, please go back and revisit them either live or recorded, take it from me, its something worth doing, this album is a testament to that.

Rock n Roll thats dressed to impress, play it loud and never have a regret you bought it.

Out on January 19th Via Easy Action Records

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