The Sore Losers – Ultra Elektric (LP)
Yes, with the opener "Tightrope," The Sore Losers immediately deliver a massive punch. It’s great, gritty garage rock with echoes of just about everything even remotely well-known in the genre. It’s not exactly innovative, but who cares! It rocks, and that’s what matters most. We’re already familiar with the earlier single "Yeah Yeah Yeah." The track is driven by a grimy bassline and, in terms of vibe, leans closest to The Strokes.
The title is frequently woven into Jan Straetemans’ vocal lines, making it so catchy it almost borders on an uptempo Schlager tune (albeit with superb guitar work). Give us "Heavyweight Champion" instead—a track that sounds much dirtier and leans far closer to punk than its predecessor. With "Birds Of A Feather," they ease off the gas a bit. What stands out most is the heavy use of vocal echo and the way the guitars engage in a seemingly contradictory duel. At times, it’s almost like listening to Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden; even the guitar solos and transitions echo Maiden.
Undoubtedly a track for connoisseurs. We’ve known "Amy" for a while now; it’s the album’s standout single. It’s so infectious it could make you wax lyrical. In our minds, that Amy seems like one hell of a woman! The guys from The Sore Losers must have thought it was time to slow things down a bit. Let’s create a Magnum Opus. Once again, we hear echoes of Iron Maiden. After two minutes, though, they’ve had enough of that, and the RAT and other pedals get stomped on. The track also features the finest guitar solo we’ve heard in ages.
On the flip side, the song sometimes feels like a hodgepodge of riffs that didn't fit anywhere else; at times, it seems a bit cobbled together. Lyrically, it doesn’t need to have all that much depth, either. After all, how many times can a person scream "don’t need no one"? "You Need Some Lovin’" is vintage Sore Losers—just the way we like it. At first listen, "Overloadin’" reminds us of a beefed-up version of Iggy Pop’s "The Passenger," though it quickly strikes out on its own path.
Lead singer Jan doesn’t rely as much on his signature high-pitched vocals here, and we appreciate that change of pace. "It’s You" opens with a few lines that feel a bit childish, improvised over a rather static riff; fortunately, the song really opens up after that. If a fourth single were to be released from the album, "To The Well" strikes us as the prime candidate—catchy, yet a bit grittier than "Amy." With the closing track, "Shareek The Greek," we were initially reminded of Kim Wilde’s "Chequered Love," though the resemblance is limited to the intro; the song heads in a completely different direction after that.
Label: Suburban Records – UER004
Country: Belgium
Media Condition: Mint (M)
Sleeve Condition: Mint (M)
Sealed