While some Swedish bands I have reviewed here and played on the show (the likes of Liar Thief Bandit, Grande Royale, The Hawkins) have taken the sounds of 70s classic rock and added grunge and punky aggression along with a hard-hitting rock sound, Ostersund's Velvet Insane have taken a different route with that era's sounds and opted for the pop hooks and glam stomp (and look) of bands such as T.Rex and Mott The Hoople. It makes their new album 'Rock 'n' Roll Glitter Suit' charming, strutting, eminently catchy and a 'helluva lot of fun'. Full of sugar coated harmonies, short concise guitar solos, a hook in every chorus (and handclaps 'de rigeur' in a lot of them), it's an album to bring a grin from ear to ear - and we all need an album like that at the moment!
While the album is infused with a glam spirit in pretty much every track, it's most prominent in the album's two opening tracks - 'Driving Down The Mountain' and 'Backstreet Liberace' (featuring Nicke Andersson and Dregen from The Hellacopters) which come complete with stomping drums, sing-along choruses and bar-room boogie piano, and 'Space Age DJ' which has more boogie piano, brass, exuberant backing vocals and even a bit of 'crazy' saxophone on the outro. Other tracks have an almost 'American Heartland' feel to them a la John Mellencamp or Bob Seger - the fantastic 'Riding The Skyways' and 'Sailing On A Thunderstorm' boast punchy guitar riffs, tasteful organ backing and the catchiest choruses on an album full of catchy choruses; 'Sailing On A Thunderstorm' also has room for some 'folky acoustic' playing. These two tracks and the track between them, 'Spin On Crazy Moon' gives the album a tremendously strong middle section and the three tracks wouldn't sound out of place in an American stadium somewhere. The band also show that they can handle a ballad with tracks such as 'Sound Of Sirens', 'Midnight Sunshine Serenade' and the arm-waving closer 'You're The Revolution' with its touches of Lennon circa 'Imagine'.
Expertly produced by Diamond Dogs' Sulo, 'Rock 'n' Roll Glitter Suit' does exactly what it says on the tin and then some! Effervescent, fun with accomplished playing and singing from the band (Jonas Eriksson - Vocals, Jesper Lindgren - Guitar, Ludwig Andersson Lindgren - Bass) and more tuneful melodies than you can shake a stack-heeled boot at, 'Rock 'n' Roll Glitter Suit' should be snapped up by anybody in love with the glam sounds of the 70s and the classic rock sounds of the 80s. These 'Backstreet Liberaces' really are on fire'!!
'Rock 'n' Roll Glitter Suit' is available from a number of places - choose one from the link below!