ALBUM REVIEW: Street Sermons – Daddy Long Legs
Riding on a wave of punk rock rhythm and blues comes DADDY LONG LEGS‘ fourth studio album Street Sermons. Full of power and emotion, it sees the New York band take their issues to the streets.
Opening up with the title track Street Sermon there is a certain level of funk to this track. It’s got a cool rhythm that’s infectious from start to finish. It’s still got a little bit of a punk edge to it though, especially with their message talking about people having the power rather than governments or large corporations. Working with each other is the basic message. Following on from this is Nightmare, which has a ROLLING STONES-esque sound to it. The vocals are great as they’re not super clean and do have a little grit to them which really just adds another dimension to them and gives the track a good singalong feel that’s hard to resist.
Harmonica Razor just from its name sounds like a fun track and it does not disappoint. There are no lyrics here, just instrumentals and some real badass harmonica playing because, why not? It sounds really bluesy – harmonica has never been this good. It leads perfectly in to Been A Fool Once, which opens with a soaring harmonica part. It’s got a real drive to it and from the lyrics it’s a pretty standard love song but these guys aren’t upset about it. It’s like going through a breakup but at least having fun with it.
Star is a little slower and mainly an acoustic track with bass and drums. Paired with ELVIS-style vocals, it’s still a great track they’ve come up with. Of course, the harmonica gets in on the action. It’s got a great little breakdown section and it’s really relaxed which provides some breathing space as the album has been pretty full on up to this point.
Two Dollar Holler really incorporates a blues feel with a slide guitar that features throughout which pairs with the harmonica so perfectly. The use of backing vocals is great as it gives a sing-along feel. This sort of juxtaposes the following track Ding Ding Man which has more of a country blues feel to it using acoustic guitars and more acoustic instruments overall. The vocals are a lot more laid back and relaxed on this track and it’s a fun bouncy song.
Ending on Electro Motive Blues is a good choice. It’s a great little song as it sounds more like a 1930s blues track and is reminiscent of some of the greats. The guitar solo in this track showcases more than in others and it really shows how good the guitarist is which isn’t really heard in full till this track. It’s not necessarily 12-bar structure – at least not all the way through – but that doesn’t detract from the overall quality.
Street Sermons kind of starts as a punk album and changes to a blues album at the halfway point which isn’t a problem but could alienate some fans. However, people who have a wider taste should find a lot to like here. This record incorporates quite a few different genres all at once and uses a lot of unconventional instruments to a point where it’s hard to imagine the tracks without them. It’s different to a lot of what’s coming out today and that is very welcome.
Rating: 7/10
Street Sermons is set for release on March 17th via Yep Roc Records.
Like DADDY LONG LEGS on Facebook.