Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Rockabilly punk anybody? Four-piece Ruby Joe manage to combine '90s rock with enough rock'n'roll twanginess and punky energy to defy easy pigeonholing and I bet they like me saying that! Produced by Michael Knott who's done a great job unleashing the energetic wall of sound that makes you wanna dance! Then just as you're leaping around, the lyrics cut in and the incongruity is startling! These are not pretty lyrics! "Childhood Love Song" has a melancholy feel of regret; "Within" is a full on explosion of angry disillusionment; "Death Train" finds Ruby Joe singing about the holocaust. Hmmm...then you get "Fat Cat's attack on materialistic greed with a musical kick sounding like a '90s Stray Cats before the lyrical mood lightens a little with "Rock'n'Roll With My Baby". "Spiritual Heroin" is a stark creative yet deliberately slightly disturbing metaphor for salvation whilst "Rocket Ship" is a furious slab of rock angst against the deadness of the soul. "Studio No 5" and "Let's Go" expand the rock'n'roll musical landscape, the latter a no holds barred celebration of salvation. Bet it's a great set closer when they're live! Ruby Joe managed to produce a fresh rock sound melding together a mish mash of guitar group influences - imagine crossing The Ramones, Stray Cats and The Altar Boys together and you're close! Lyrically, they're intriguing, avoiding cliche with the ability to disturb and delight. No mean feat! Worth investigating

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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