Review: Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell ‘The Trouble With The Shovell’
From a long-term admirer, it is bloody great to hear new music from the wonderfully named Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. As soon as you hear the monstrous riffs emerging all over the opening track, Laughing Gravy, it reminds you of just how superb the trio are.
I first saw them around the time they’d released Check ‘Em Before You Wreck ‘Em back in 2014, and their music was more than just greasy rock; it was FUN, a tradition that they stood by up until 2019’s Very Uncertain Times. Now, seven years later, frontman Johnny Gorilla and bassist Louis Wiggett are back with a new drummer, Glen Mitchell, armed with nine new dirty rock anthems.
As Wiggett comments, they write songs‘that sounds like a record we’d wanna buy’,and I’d imagine that there will be plenty who want to do just that as A Better Day has a sway and a swagger that is pure Shovell. As a fan, it’s exactly what I was hoping for when I started listening to it, but they take it up several notches on the more explosive Sideways Barnacle. It’s a filthy, grubby sound for a modern age with oodles of melody and a big fat bass line that thrills and excites.
There’s more of a hint or two of bluesy rock ‘n’ roll that bursts out of Head In A Noose, which has a simple rhythm that is delightfully easy on the ear with the vocals breaking through, before the solo kicks in. They don’t overcomplicate the compositions either or try to re-invent the wheel, but what they do, they do damn well, as Wiggett confirms,‘we haven’t changed the magic formula’.
a filthy, grubby sound for a modern age with oodles of melody and a big fat bass line that thrills and excites…
A few quick hits of the cymbals lead into the more raucous Kind Boy with its more upbeat tempo, until the leisurely solo slows it down in the mid-section. It comes back to life when the rumbustious riff returns and takes you by the hand to introduce Slayed In Full. This has a sumptuous bass line that opens the song, and it stays along for the ride as it rumbles along effortlessly, before the guitar really sparks it into life. The repeated patterns are enjoyable, with pockets of rowdy behaviour immersed in the song.
First City Seconds is slower paced, yet you’ll be nodding your head in no time, but it’s all about the guitar solo, which is executed perfectly and allows the song to build impressively before Blue Mountain Dust takes over. The opening riff is just ace, almost like it’s talking directly to you, as it speeds up just before the vocal. This track is more expansive and has lots going on, taking it in different directions, and it’s probably my favourite on the album.
They are one of those bands who’ll probably never headline stadiums, which is a travesty in my humble opinion, but with this return, they’ve given their fans exactly what they want. Another Greasy Spoonis the way it should end as it pops and fizzes all over the place, expanding your mind with their particular brand of fiery rock. As Gorillaadds, ‘you don’t have to like it, but if you don’t buy it, you’re a cunt’.
Label: Rise Above Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
