Italian sleaze! That’s right, Italy’s Stray Bullets have entered the glam/sleaze race with their January 26, 2018, issued Shut Up album. In some stretches of the imagination, this could be considered their debut album. Forming in Verona, Italy in 2007, Stray Bullets took three years of writing and recording to issue Lost Soul Town. The album featured ten tracks entirely played and recorded by the band as a home-made recording. Since then, Stray Bullets have seen some lineup changes and shifted their musical focus more in the sleaze vein than previously.
In 2015 Stray Bullets were taken under the wings of Oscar Burato and Stefano Gottardi at Burning Minds Music Group. The newly revamped band roster composed by vocalist Alex Chinaski, guitar-players Steven Evil and Nick, bass-player Dave Dufford and drummer Zen recorded at Atomic Stuff Studio. They retooled most of the songs from Lost Soul Town, re-writing and re-recording them for Shut Up.
STRAY BULLETS – Shut Up (Album Review)
Opening up with “Lost Soul Town” we are right away greeted with a sleazy guitar riff. The “sit up and take notice” kind of riff. Perfect! The high energy fist-pumper of a song grinds and pounds its way through to the chorus. Up next is the playfulness of “Get On You” featuring a shout-along chorus that is sure to have the fist raised high at a live gig. Track three, “Hurt You” has a grimy, dirty night prowler feel to it at the outset. You know, like the street predators in a 70’s cop TV show or a Dirty Harry film? Great soloing here that tastefully fits the songs too.
The whole album rips along just like those first three tracks. To be completely honest, I’m surprised at such an engrossing sleaze album coming from Italy and not late 80’s Sunset Strip. The whole thing is a fun listen. From tracks like the catchiness of “Candy”, the venom of “Put Up Shut Up”, and dirtiness of “Sex Pot”. Some of the songs seem a little generic overall, blending together during the whole run. That’s not to say that any energy dissipates through “Be Your Man”, “Rain”, “Black Out” and “Crash”. In fact, the only song I can take or leave is “One Way”. Well, let’s face it, in its defense, we all know I dislike slower fare.
Brightening my bus ride commutes to and from work for the past week or so, Shut Up delivers! So Shut Up and buy it!
Cheers,
The Meister
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