It was during "In White Relief" that I felt stupid for missing out on the Archie Bronson Outfit until now. The song sounds like a drunk John Lennon trying to quickly learn how to sing some New York Dolls B-Side. It's a mess but a glorious, clanging one.
Wild Crush is the new record from the Archie Bronson Outfit and it's out now on Domino. It's a record that recalls obscure artists (Epic Soundtracks on "Love To Pin You Down") and more legendary ones (the David Bowie conjuring "Lori From The Outer Reaches" with its "Five Years" percussion). The album has a scattershot energy that gives the proceedings a sense of combustibility even if the group manages to hold things together and charge ever forward.
"Cluster Up And Hover" melds Bolan and Cave into a desperate rave-out while the gloriously titled "Hunch Your Body, Love Somebody" channels both Byrne's Talking Heads and Daniel Johnston. What a deranged and fabulous racket!
Album closer "Country Miles" weds the Stones of Beggars Banquet to the Beta Band. More focused than the Betas, the cut has a ramshackle charm that soothes and tempers down the fiery riot of the rest of the record. It's the perfect way to end Wild Crush.
The Archie Bronson Outfit get points for cramming a ton of stuff into a concise 32-minute album. Where other bands would let this type of music go off the rails, these cats keep things together. Nothing meanders for too long and the bits that stomp-and-rock do so with a sense of urgency. Wild Crush is like a slap in the face from a beer-soaked hand. It's rough, dangerous, warm, and human. In an age of so much junk, music this genuine deserves praise and attention.
Follow along on the official Archie Bronson Outfit website.