Rock n’ Roll swagger is hardly uncommon. Yet, all too infrequently is it as bona fide as what The Suicide Notes effortlessly exude with their deviously trashy take on Sleaze Rock.
Each of the four tracks on their debut EP The Pleasures of Despair offer an instantaneous hit of catharsis for the nefarious. Or, just anyone who appreciates their music as filthy as Post Malone’s bathwater.
If you thought that New York Dolls’ tracks were scuzzy, wait until you hit play on Black Dog Howlin. It’s a frenzied feat of unadulterated virtuosic insanity. The blazing solos and rhythmic wrath are quite literally palpitatingly intense.
Track two, Smoke It Like A Cigarette may dial down the momentum slightly. But you’ll still be caught up in the dynamically anthemic energy in the suspense-filled nostalgically arrestive track.
If you weren’t already in awe of Billy Tee’s saw-edged larynx, you will be when you get to track three On The Rocks. The vitriolic feral howls almost allow the Trashy Rock n Roll raconteurs to share reminiscences with Pantera while the tight instrumentals take you right back to the golden era of Sleaze.
The roguishly romantic concluding track Ragdoll is a perfect testament to The Suicide Notes’ experimentalism and talent. With basslines which would get Mr Bungle’s approval and a myriad of progressions for your consciousness to be consumed by, it’s by far the most captivating track on the record for anyone who appreciates genre-defying improv instrumental breakdowns.
To Supplement the release The Pleasures of Despair- Electric which is due for release on June 1st, The Suicide Notes also released The Pleasures of Despair – The Acoustic Demos (Volume 1) on March 16th 2020.
It’s easy to feel like The Suicide Notes played a pretty Machiavellian trick by releasing the acoustic EP first before dropping the super-charged over-driven monster Electric EP.
Instead of fevered high-octane Rock, the acoustic four-track EP allows the accordantly warm instrumentals soak up the jagged angst projected through the pensively weighted lyrics and Billy Tee’s vocals which may be gruff, but they’re far from abrasive.
Pleasures of Despair – Electric is now available for pre-order via this link, where you’ll also be able to order the acoustic EP.
Keep up to date with new releases, announcements, and general raucously endearing antics from The Suicide Notes via Facebook.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
