LRI Record Review, BOBAFLEX- “Charlatan’s Web”- BFX Records
One of the most underrated national acts out there in my opinion, Bobaflex, set the bar awfully high with their last album, “Hell In My Heart”, an indie album that finally started to get the wheels moving for the West Virginia rockers. After a couple stylistic changes, lineup changes, label changes the core lineup of brothers Shaun and Marty McCoy along with rhythm section Tommy Johnson and Jerod Mankin scored nicely on radio with tracks like “Bury Me With My Guns On” and “Sounds Of Silence”. The big question is how the band would respond to seeing the results of their hard work with the new album “Charlatan’s Web”.
It would be REAL easy for the album to be a disappointment for me personally, it happens with bands all the time. In fact, it took local radio cramming the first “Charlatan’s” single “Bad Man” down my throat a million times for it to grow on me, which it has. As good as the track is, almost every other song on this new album is better than “Bad Man”, which is sort of good news, right? Also good news is the fact that they’ve neither replicated “Hell In My Heart” nor abandoned any of the things that make it such a great record. It’s Bobaflex through and through, from the signature harmony vocals to the uncanny sense for pop melodies and memorable lyrics that dominate the songwriting on the band’s past three albums. Straight away you WILL notice that this album is quite a bit more aggressive than any of the band’s previous albums, perhaps the insane amount of time the band spends on the road has turned their blood a tad bit colder. “I’m Glad You’re Dead” and “Strangle You” are two titles that spring to mind and both songs smoke. What is also interesting and evident from the get go is that the band isn’t afraid to take chances. That’s clear whether listening to tracks like the Billy Idol/New Wave ish moments in “Wading Through The Dark” (one of the best tracks on a very strong album) or the tongue in cheek yet seriously swanky (as in Bang Tango/GNR) “School For Young Ladies”. I would not be honest if I didn’t tell you that every single song on this album is pretty much as great as the next one, right down to the very last track “Rogue”. Again, the Bobaflex recipe is intact on “Charlatan’s Web”; Beatles-esque melodies put through the blender with a fair share of distortion, ripping guitar solos and Jack Daniels enhanced screams. No need for bonus tracks or filler when you have an album that just kicks ass from beginning to end. Well done boys.
Pick up the new album at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9OGMPA/ref=dm_att_alb4
or iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/charlatans-web/id682112130
or through the band’s official website
Category: Reviews
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