Published on Nov 29, 2005
Tricky Woo have been the undisputed kings of Canadian neo-garage
rock since they first tore up the indie scene in the late 1990s.
Their last album saw them undertake a poorly received musical
departure that led to the breakup of the band for nearly four
years, after which they re-assembled (bringing much missed
guitarist Adrian Popovich back into the fold) and recorded
First Blush, their fifth and strongest studio album to
date.
Whereas the sound that they became popular for in the late ’90s
could be described as an intense update of the Stooges crossed with
Mountain,
First Blush is a half-hour blast of incendiary hard rock
more along the lines of ’70s proto-metal legends such as Thin Lizzy
and Ted Nugent, with even harder moments recalling the tough
melodicism of early Scorpions.
While the band does wear its influences on its polyestered
sleeve, the music is anything but a stale retread of the past. Like
any great band, Tricky Woo take the basic ingredients of the music
they love and add their own personality to the mix, creating a
sound all their own.
As expected from a batch of musicians this talented, the new
disc is jam-packed with muscular Gibson-through-Marshall-stacks
guitar riffs that never fail to delight the ears with their
catchiness. You see, like Angus and Malcolm Young, guitarists
Adrian Popovich and Andrew Dickson (who is also the frontman) have
that rare ability to recognize and harness the power of riffs that
are often simple, but instantly memorable. This is a quality that
few modern bands possess.
Surrounding the main riffs are tons of ferociously played little
bluesy leads, solos and harmonies that display their considerable
instrumental chops. While that was always one their trademarks, in
the past they sometimes had a tendency to take the bombast a little
too far. One of the great things about
First Blush is that they’ve slightly reigned in their
uncontrolled fury and delivered a more focused attack with more
mature, creative songwriting than ever before, particularly where
arrangements and Dickson’s charismatic preacher vocal melodies are
concerned.
Folks, forget about the Strokes, the White Stripes, the Hives or
any of the other retro-rock revivalists that have been getting the
media spotlight for the last few years. I can honestly say without
exaggeration that they all sound like anemic amateurs next to likes
of the simply brilliant Tricky Woo. This album is a perfect example
of the way rock is meant to be played. Ten songs that move along at
a no-bullshit brisk pace that will force out the air guitar within,
hypnotic head banging, or a lead foot on the pedal. If you’re
looking for a rock album that will blow you away with its raw
intensity and expertly performed musicianship that recalls the
glory days when music dared to be bold, do not hesitate to pick up
First Blush — as far as I’m concerned, it’s the album of
the year.