Though initial appearances can be deceptive – a trio of bearded long-hairs peering through a Rick Griffin-esque cover, a title evoking The Diggers, The Seeds and a whole heap of Nuggets alumni – in this instance it’s hard to think of a more accurate starting point.
Adhering to the maxim ‘if it ain’t broke…’, Cincinnati’s Killers deal in an authentic (sour) mash of garage psychedelia, swampy blues and alt.country, all rinsed with Laurel Canyon’s blissed-out, sun-soaked harmonies. Think Big Star with a fatter bottom end or Jonathan Wilson parachuted into Blue Cheer.
The key touchstone, however, must be Crazy Horse – singer Andrew Gabbard’s upper-end drawl operating somewhere between Neil Young’s mellow grace and a young Ozzy’s sneer.
For sure, there’s hardly a dearth of retrophilia these days (the production screams analogue and vintage gear), but this is easily the equal of any of its influences. And then some.
