Oh my good god, what is going on with The Rotations – another twisted collection of tracks released with no fanfare – is this the Christmas offering?
This is a six track EP, not even sure what label or platform, just landed in BM’s box, as it were…
Track one ‘Crooked Man’ sounds like a typical Rotations tune – Cramps vs the world thing but that guitar is really effective… Next track ‘Time To Move Your Feet’ is more of the same, like Johnny Cash trapped in a lift, in Glasgow, in 2019 – what must the neighbours think?
The rest of the EP is similarly mental, ‘The Horse Has Bolted’ offering up manic guitar thrash while ‘I’m Missing Fingers’ is a dirty swampy thing: “Missing digits” etc.
The title track is however somewhat different – a mid-tempo plucky number, with a drawling vocal – “I began to read your name backwards and forwards…” – quite scarily insane, like Nick Cave on a very bad day…
The closing tune is also quite low key but classy with it, wee bit of organ to supplement the again rather Bad Seeds vibe – in a good way…
BM is a big fan of The Rotations and it is good to see them push the envelope beyond twangy thrash into new territories.