BACKYARD BABIES – Four By Four (2015)

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Swedes BACKYARD BABIES are back with a new studio album, the first in five years, entitled “Four By Four“. The fresh recording gives an edge to their signature sound, with bits and pieces that clearly show that those five years have been used to hone their craft.

Formed in 1989, and with half a dozen studio albums to their name, the line-up of the band has never changed, and neither has the collective desire to claim a key and colorful chapter in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll.
So that’s what the PR blurb is telling me, but what are the songs saying? After a substantial time out are the Backyard Babies still relevant in 2015 or have they had their day?
The album explodes into my ears with the recently-released single “Th1rt3en Or Nothing”, which has a funky start and then sort of slides into a slow and groovy wall of sleazy swagger. The vocals are sneering, the guitars are wailing and I love the drum sound. It reminds me in places of some of the stuff that Slash has produced recently.

Second track “I’m On My Way To Save Your Rock & Roll” is an instant personal favourite. Its dirty riff has attitude, kind of like a modern-day Hanoi Rocks. This is what I would call the classic Backyard Babies sound, a bouncy singalong chorus with those low-down sleazy vocals and the twin guitars weaving in and out of it all.

“White Light District” continues in the same vein, keeping up the energy and swaggering into a potential live classic I think.
There’s a total change of pace for “Bloody Tears”, which starts slowly with acoustics then morphs into a massive power ballad. Get your lighters ready for this one.

Back to the classic Backyard Babies sound for “Piracy” which is fast and fun, featuring some excellent harmony vocals. “Never Finish Anything” is a potential single too, with a more modern sound with Nicke and Dregen throwing some two-way vocals at each other in the catchy chorus.
“Mirrors (Shall be Broken)” is another nice ballad with a more bluesy groove. In places there is a hint of 2YK Bon Jovi.
Final track “Walls” is another interesting cut, slow, but there’s no ballad here. Instead a strong and dominant bass line gives it a feel all of its own, and it then becomes an instrumental ending that wouldn’t be out of place as the theme for a Hammer House Of Horror film. There’s creaking doors, doomy guitars and even an evil cackle or two.

It seems that those years doing their other projects have enabled the Backyard Babies to come back with a sound that is stronger than ever.
“Four By Four” is close enough in style to satisfy their die-hard long-term fans but there’s also some interesting new directions to attract a new audience. Give them a listen, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

01 – Th1rt3en Or Nothing
02 – I’m On My Way To Save Your Rock ‘N’ Roll
03 – White Light District
04 – Bloody Tears
05 – Piracy
06 – Never Finish Anythi
07 – Mirrors (Shall Be Broken)
08 – Wasted Years
09 – Walls

Nicke Borg – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dregen – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Johan Blomquist – Bass
Peder Carlsson – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Four-Backyard-Babies/dp/B010QCBT1U
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