ELECTRIC BOYS – The Ghost Ward Diaries (2018)
Cult ’80s Swedish rockers ELECTRIC BOYS have signed with Mighty Music and will be releasing a new album titled “The Ghost Ward Diaries” tomorrow, November 23, 2018. Faithful to their roots, the band here delivers a palatable cocktail of classic rockin’ guitar riffs, strong hooks and heavy grooves, all served with an ‘analog’ feeling.
After their glorious 1988 debut (or 1989 depending on where you were in the world) Electric Boys released two further albums before taking an elongated break in 1994 – ‘Groovus Maximum’ in 1992 and in 1994 ‘Freewheelin.” Neither album, if I’m honest, hit the heights of their debut but both blew away 90% of the rubbish that Grunge foisted upon us.
Resurfacing in 2009 they put out ‘And Them Boys Done Swang’ in 2011, a very good comeback album.
Then there was 2014’s ‘Starflight United’, another solid LP. The question of course now is how do they sound a further 4 years down the track with this new effort “The Ghost Ward Diaries”.
Opener and first single “Hangover In Hannover” starts with a timeless riff that could have been forged by AC/DC before Bloom’s vocal kicks in – it’s a song that does all that you’d hope the band would do – it’s fierce, it’s fiery, built on a driving melodic life-force, and a huge chorus and searing guitars that set it all alight. It’s pure Electric Boys.
“There She Goes Again” that follows is even more melodic, even more catchy, with a sweet building chorus and insistent riff that gives you a huge smile before “You Spark My Heart” reaches out, a melodic uplifting semi-ballad, sweet and crisp and invoking a real classic rock feel that hits the mark.
Now let’s get funky with “Love Is A Funny Feeling”, the first track that lays down what you might think of as that traditional Electric Boys funky beat, and does it with aplomb to really open up the party before “Gone Gone Gone” the first slower number here cuts in. It’s a stylish Seventies style soulful grower of a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a vintage Bad Company album.
The album is split down the middle by “Swampmotofrog” an funky little instrumental stomp that fits beautifully here and heralds the most back-to-basics song on the album: “First The Money, Then The Honey” – a groovy little rock and roller, simple and effective made to get the feet tapping and the blood pumping.
That in turn gives way to a glorious closing trifecta heralded first by “Rich Man, Poor Man” one of my favorites here which comes across with all the attitude of a funky little vintage Aerosmith rocker.
Then “Knocked Out By Tyson” is another breezy hooky number with a mild psychedelic bite kicks away the jambs, and “One Of The Fallen Angels” closes the album with wailing guitar and a lighter sheen. It’s a great slab of ‘blue sky’ rock awash with melodies and a great riff that in days of yore would have heralded a stadium singing along at the chorus hit.
“Lyric wise this new album it’s a bit darker than before; little diaries from times on the road and the struggle in between” – said vocalist Conny Bloom, and whilst that comes across at times, this is an album that delivers but which also pushes the boundaries just a little more than the other two reformation albums to date.
It’s a pretty killer slice of ‘electrifying’ classic rock, with the unique style of the Electric Boys.
Highly Recommended
01 – Hangover in Hannover
02 – There She Goes Again
03 – You Spark My Heart
04 – Love Is a Funny Feeling
05 – Gone Gone Gone
06 – Swampmotofrog
07 – First the Money, Then the Honey
08 – Rich Man, Poor Man
09 – Knocked out by Tyson
10 – One of the Fallen Angels
Pre Order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Ward-Diaries-Electric-Boys/dp/B07GW4GYKF
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