 The
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
"Maximum Overdrive" CD
Alive
Records
Genres: punk rock, rock
Alive Records
POB 7112
Burbank CA 91510
Apr 5 - 11 2004 |
Maximum Overdrive is the "beefed-up" reissue of The
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' 1997 album, which was simply titled Overdrive.
On this release we see the band taking rock n' roll concepts and cross-breeding
them with punk energy and attitude. It's no wonder they've
toured with the likes of Nashville Pussy, New Bomb Turks, and The
Supersuckers - fans of those types of acts will likely find much
to enjoy in this CD's seventeen songs. I won't bore you with details, but suffice to say these guys are good.
If you like The X-Impossibles, or even more mainstream acts
like The Hives and co, you'll be able to find value in Maximum
Overdrive. With a carefree, fiery sound not unlike the one MC5
and The Stooges perfected, The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
will get your feet moving. Just listening to this album makes me
want to run out the door and find the nearest mosh pit. Which
brings us to the main problem with this album - it would sound so
much better live. Even though these tracks are remarkably
well recorded and produced, one can't help but wonder how much better
they would sound at a show.
The music itself is simple but effective. The songs are all pretty similar, with a raucous, explosive sound
that values energy over melody. The only exception is
"Peppermint," a surprisingly pop-based tune with a strong
verse-and-chorus structure. It is the only tune here that could
achieve any sort of mainstream appeal, and as such I'm a bit confused
as to how it got on this disc.
If you can dig some good punk rock, garage rock, or just plain
modern rock n' roll, then Maximum Overdrive will be a perfect
addition to your collection. Just make sure you can handle it.
86%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 18 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
