The Rotations are moving from strength to strength, and this new LP is the dogs. They are from Scotland, somewhere – keeping quite a low profile regarding who and where the band are, but BM has been a big fan for a while now.
Starting with ‘Avert Your Eyes’, this is 12 tracks of simmering, Cramps-esque twangorama…
‘Safe As Houses’ is more sparse and relies on the drum and bass to provide the main tune – while the lead vocals range around the place before locking onto the riff – it is jarring, but as it builds up it is fantastic and the riffs meld into a workout of epic proportions.
BM has previously reviewed title track ‘Work…’ and little more to say except it is a banger… enough said!
‘Mighty Cold Haddock’ is a bit different, some piano and some words about the said item, a kind of trawlerman blues, if you will…. Does Nick Cave have any fish songs in his back pages? Don’t think so, so it fills a gap….
There are more plangent blues in ‘Three Mosquitoes’ and ‘Threatening The Moon’, that killer guitar buzzing away over god knows what….
The album has some garage-esque production, none more so in ‘Tailbone’, which could have been, and may have been, recorded in a public toilet – no worse for it though, it gets to the point!
‘I Clap My Eyes On You’ is more of a trad riff, a love song set on a ferry in Scotland somewhere, god help the girl…
The following tune ‘I Despise you’ is more personal, apparently, but who knows with these guys? More down and dirty Scottish scuzz anyway….
Of the last few tracks, ‘Rebound’ is very enjoyable with some nice organ aiding the twangery and the Alabama 3-esque vocals and shredding guitar riffs…
A sample about “youth” opens ‘One Thing at a Time (Sweet Jesus)’ and there is a real ruckus building here, leading to a wigout of epic proportions with very dirty guitar indeed (just as BM likes it)!
Last track ‘The Last Word’ is again quite sparse with high backing vocals – sounds like a beef, about having to have the last word – not the best quality… but the vocals sound honest at least… all boding well for a live show – whenever and wherever that happens…