The Matadors – Sweet Revenge

I want to like this record because The Matadors have been a band that I’ve liked for a few years. I’ve only heard one record – 2005’s Hellbilly 9000, but I liked it and they put on a very entertaining live show. But as I listen to Sweet Revenge I don’t find myself filled with the same sense of excitement or energy that I used to when I heard The Matadors. No, when I listen to Sweet Revenge I feel bored. Very, very bored.

Recorded over a span of over a year due to massive lineup changes and hiccups, Sweet Revenge doesn’t necessarily feel out of place or uneven but instead feels simply lackadaisical as if Hooch gave up on it way too soon. The record has elements of the psychobilly and horrorbilly that I’ve come to expect from them but there’s only slight elements of those styles in there. There’s no longer any intensity or urgency to the sound. The standup bass seems to be lacking a much needed punch and the overall sound of the record seems to be leaning more towards that of country and rockabilly than horrorbilly . There are times when The Matadors pull in similarities to Reverend Horton Heat and other times they have a distinct Elvis similarity but they always lack a sense of intensity or energy.

The most notable weak spot on the record is Hooch’s vocals. They are somehow so insanely annoying and aggravating that they become of the main reasons you’ll skip over it. They’re unique which should generally be a positive but they’re way too low in the mix, almost to the point where you need to stretch to really decipher them. It’s a style of music where the vocals should be prominent but they’re mixed way too low, combine that with the low registry of his vocals and they become boring and bland.

Lyrically, they’re not winning anyone over either. Songs about drinking and sex liter the album and while it may be fun to chant “Bush fucking party, mother fucking handjob” over and over again in an anthemic fashion, there’s not much depth there.

I’ve attempted to listen to this record many, many times but I think I’ve only made it all the way through on two or three occasions. Every other time I just get bored and switch over, there’s just nothing here to really keep me listening or coming back for more. It’s not your run of the mill generic emo CD but that doesn’t mean it’s not equally as boring.