Doc Martens, officially Dr. Martens, but I like “Doc Martens” better, have been on my feet for the last twenty years with the exception of about a three year period in the mid 2000’s. I bought my first pair the summer of ’94, not long after Lollapalooza. That pair of boots lasted until 2003, at which time I purchased my second pair. That pair lasted until sometime during 2004. My current Doc Martens are on their last legs after seven years (I bought them in a consignment shop in Asheville, NC, so the boots could be much older than seven years), and I’ve worn those steel-toed monstrosities pretty much every day for the last seven years – minus a vacation in Key West. In the last year, I’ve learned that the majority of the iconic shoes have been manufactured in Thailand or China for years now. The company still operates a small factory in England that produces limited edition shoes the “old” way, and those shoes proudly display the “Made in England” stamp. As to be expected, the “Made in England” Doc’s are better quality than the mass produced “Doc’s.” I haven’t checked my current boots to check this widely believed theory – mainly because I don’t want to find out that my sturdy boots aren’t made in England and shoot this whole theory in the foot. And, I firmly believe that my 2003 pair lacked that desired “Made in England” stamp. I do know that when I go shopping for a new pair of Doc’s, I’ll be looking for the “Made in England” stamp; if I can’t find a pair with the desired heritage, I’ll still buy a pair, but with a sigh of resignation. No sigh of resignation is called for when listening to the new album from England’s Band of Skulls, though. The alternative band’s new album Himalayan is the “Made in England” Doc Martens of contemporary alternative bands. The album has a staying power to go with its initial aesthetic appeal.
Band of Skulls cut their teeth playing clubs in London, and released their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey in 2009. They had some initial success in the realm of soundtracks, having songs featured on soundtrack albums for Friday Night Lights (one of my favorite TV shows of all time) and one for the Twilight movies. Band of Skulls have released one more album Sweet Sour prior to Himalayan, and although neither one made a big splash in the U.S., I believe that Himalayan can change that, especially on the strength of the title track.
With an opening groove that causes my mind to wander to the realm of funky goodness and my three year old son to unconsciously keep time with his oversized head, “Himalayan” makes me ponder writing an article about the greatest title tracks of all time. Regardless of “Himalayan’s” place in the pantheon of greatest title tracks, I love the song. It doesn’t take long for the crunchy rock guitars to storm the thatched beach hut of the opening groove and set it on fire. Thankfully, the opening groove continues to party, and, as a result, “Himalayan” has a well-rounded and interesting sound.
The vocals on Himalayan are superb, and are one of the highlights of the album for me. Emma Richardson supplies the vocals on “Cold Sweat,” which is probably my second favorite track on the album. Richardson’s voice in conjunction with the beautiful yet brokenly wistful instrumentals reminds me of a late 80’s to early 90’s thriller set in the Deep South – the heat can be felt, but it leaves you with chills. In contrast is the voice of Russell Marsden that provides a different and more subtle searching to the songs; Richardson seduces while Marsden deftly quizzes. I wish that Himalayan featured the vocals of Richardson and Marsden together more often, but that’s a small quibble for a well-done album.
“I Feel Like Ten Men, Nine Dead and One Dying” is one of the songs on Himalayan that features both Richardson and Marsden on vocals. The song combines a bit of a Southern Cali surfer vibe in the guitar and a hint of Latin music flair with the melodrama and angst of a good self-respecting alternative song, along with lyrics that feel like film-noir. “I Feel Like Ten Men, Nine Dead and One Dying” demonstrates Band of Skull’s ability to craft layered and interesting songs that are grounded in excellent musicianship. In fact, the narrative scope of the lyrics combined with the interestingly integrated musical elements reminds me of the Punkgrass husband and wife duo Grace & Tony.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t familiar with Band of Skulls before this album, and when I read the description – an alternative band, founded in 2008, no less – I wasn’t excited. “Alternative,” in my experience, is a genre that has become a catch-all descriptor for bland, mediocre bands whose lead singer listened to a lot of Nevermind in middle school, and then took too many art classes in high school. My hopes weren’t high for Band of Skulls, and I felt bad for agreeing to review Himalayan. And then I listened to the album. To my surprise and delight, I discovered an interesting album performed by excellent musicians, and I encourage my friends and readers who consider themselves music lovers to give this refreshing album a listen. Himalayan isn’t an album made to simply look as good as the real deal; it’s an album that was crafted by artisans who care about their craft.
Rating: 4/5
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