SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT - The Riverboat Gamblers (Gearhead)
Hailing from Denton, Texas (the same town that spawned the Big O), the five-piece
Riverboat Gamblers come on like a shot of straight white spirits on the morning
after the biggest night of your life. Excuse the hyperbole (you oughta be used
to it, hanging 
around
here), but this is in-your-face rock 'n' roll that goes straight for the bread
basket and leaves you winded, yet begging for more.
The Riverboat Gamblers employ a simple but effective modus operandi (like all
the best Rock Action). They lay sung-shouted choruses over the top of a seething
bed of guitars, courtesy of the economical but never retiring pairing of Colin
Ambulance and Freddy Castro. Almost every song is delivered in breakneck, in
"we're-heading-for-the-Texan-border-see-you-at-the-other-end" style. Plus drummer
Jessie 3X is a killer exponent of his art. No arguments. And Mike "Teko" Weibe's
vocal attack is perfect for the times.
The Gamblers spent the middle part of 2003 on a national U.S. tour supporting
The Dragons and "Something..." shows what an inspired pairing it would have
been. Both bands are coming from similar places, musically speaking. The Riverboat
Gamblers are a little less bombastic, but both boast brutal guitar armouries.
The opening song, "Let's Eat", sets the scene. Fifteen seconds of fury, it's
almost like the band's saying grace before jumping in and gorging themselves.
Best tunes? The big chorus of "Rattle Me Bones" sticks like Araldite and smells
a bit better, while "What's What" is also harder to shake than a head cold and
5000 times more enjoyable. It's the sort of song that stands there, pokes you
in the chest and sits you on your arse if you object, so go with the flow and
don't argue. When the Gamblers sing that they're going to tell you what's what,
believe it.
Lyrical content aside (it's about suicide), "Ice Water" won't leave you cold (pun intended) and the Heartbreakers-inspired buzz of "Ooh Yeah" ranks up there with the best of the Hives (who happen to be labelmates). Catchy? You bet. "Last to Know" momentarily breaks the mould of Guitar Shock and Awe with a chiming intro before charging back into the fray. And just when you had the Gamblers pegged, they shut down things with a gin-soaked, caustic ballad ("Lottie Mae") that might have done a Texan '50s bar band proud. Fittingly, the whole shebang ends with the strains of dissipating feedback.
If there's one negative about some of Tim Kerr's prior production work it's that it sounds muddy, but the same criticism can't be levelled here. The guitars are thick and rich but ring and soar. The bottom end is nicely compressed and punchy and Teko's vocals are in the middle distance but are close enough to make out most of what he's singing. Kerr's a master of bringing a band's live sound to bear in the studio setting and he's nailed it admirably here.
The whole show clocks in at 28 minutes and if the attack wasn't so sustained
that might be a drawback. "Something..." doesn't wear out its welcome - and
if it's not enough there's always the repeat button. -
The Barman
1/2