LA
FAMILIA - The Plaintiffs (Career
Records)
If these guys are the plaintiffs then the prosecution can rest now. The
trial is over. This is another winner from Career. Washington State
veteran Joey Kline (from Roy Loney and the Longshots) leads a three-guitar
line-up through a genre-defying, high-spirited romp through 
America's
criminal badlands.
"La Familia" is a pulp crime novel set to rock and roll music; like
the best Ellroy books, it dares you to get a handle on what it's going to
do next. Straight-up rock jumps to ska-tinged syncopation and back into dark
pop-rock. It's a mixed bag but uniformly excellent, maintaining a consistent
thread through Kline's powerful and adaptable vocals. And it could be label
co-owner Ron Sanchez's finest production hour (he recorded all but one track)
with power and clarity getting along like consenting adults.
Joey Kline has a stunning voice. He's even recalling the Big O on "Final
Chance", a showcase tune where guitars weave and fill the spaces rather
than overpower. This engine room has a warm glow; it's deft but possesses
a strong arm. Great band, great singer.
And great songs. If Cheap Trick is regarded as an American National Treasure,
people need to wrap an ear around "Mirror Dreams", a dazzling collision
of staccato piano, melody and power chords. Flashes of glam rock abound.
With a few exceptions, ska usually sticks in my craw but when The Plaintiffs
dip their collective toe in the waters of syncopated rhythms it actually works.
Evidence: The downright creepy "One Eye Open" where pop smarts carry
the day.
There's some positively dazzling guitarwork here from all concerned - Rupert
Kettle played lead on the record but Patrick Gray does the job live. And that
doesn't underplay the contributions from Kline and rhythm player Richard Mockler.
The whole machine meshes so well. Cock an ear to "Skipjack" or "Swell"
and see if that's wrong.
The Latin-tinged pop departure, "Can I Ever Get Away With Anything",
marks the album's midpoint like a line in the sand. Lightweight but a platform
for a great Kline vocal with more Orbison overtones. Clever tracking makes
it bookend the previously mentioned hammer-down rock of "Swell"
and serves as a perfect lead-in for "Happy New Year", a spiteful
stab at an ex-wife/girlfriend. Sounds like it would be a corker live. You
can just hear the guys in trucker caps and wifebeater shirts singing along.
Ultimately, "La Familia" is a string of dark and vital vignettes
delivered with spirit and humour. Like the Sopranos on CD.
Career's steered a path well clear of the sort of Detroit rock territory
that fans of co-owner Deniz Tek might have expected and this one carries his
enthusiastic recommendation. From the smouldering neo-psychedlics of Penny
Ikinger's debut to the quirky good rockin' of Roy Loney and moody layering
of Donovan's Brain, this is a label that continues to surprise. "La Familia"
continues the tradition. –
The Barman
3/4