On this, the third
Kottak album, James (Kingdom Come/Scorpions)
Kottak is again joined by renowned producer/guitarist, Tommy Henriksen (now back in Alice Cooper's band, by the way).
Kottak the band - rounded out by Price Vernon, Johnny Lucas and Francis Ruiz on bass, rhythm guitar and drums respectively - once again fits itself squarely into the trashy, punk pop, wham bam thankyou m'a'm rock'n'roll aesthetic. Each track a 3 minute, get in quick and get out again blast of crashing, spring loaded guitars and shouty, attitudinal choruses. Melodic Pop in a wannabe Cheap Trick, Greenday mould.
It's worked for
Kottak twice, especially on last year's impressive '
Rock'N'Roll Forever', where his collaboration with Henriksen resulted in several songwriting payoffs, but with
'Attack', the formula is wearing a little thin.
It's only when the band steps away from the established template, that it works. And thankfully there is a clutch of songs at the heart of '
Attack' that just about carries the day. The singularly impressive
'Bang Bang Baby' strays deep into the darkness of LA Guns' territory. '
Sexy Motherf***er' has a raw, heartfelt charm. Too bad about the banality of the language. The promising
'World War Love' fights hard to escape the band's stylistic straitjacket, with a large measure of success.
But it's the slow burning closing cut,
'Time To Say Goodbye' (not that one), where James
Kottak (aka Jimmy Ratchitt) is joined by Kleveland's Stephanie Smith, that really stands out here.
Henriksen's spare, uncluttered production is again a move away from the music's well established norm. It marries a clattering beat and endlessly shuffling rhythms to a shimmering acoustic guitar, allowing Smith's fiercely indignant response perfectly to match
Kottak's plaintive, resigned acceptance that it's over.
A fine end to an otherwise patchy album.
Written by
Brian Sunday, August 7, 2011
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