Kicking off with the fiery one-two punch of ‘Victory Lap’ & ‘Smell Of Gasoline’, veteran three-piece The Reverend Horton Heat show no signs of letting age compromise the fire in their collective belly. On their first studio album in four years, the first single, ‘Let Me Teach You How To Eat’, is right up there with their best.
The Reverend, aka Jim Heath, and his merry men specialise in what could be best described as ‘psychobilly’ – a mixture of rock and roll, swing, rockabilly, punk, big band, and many, many other things. The trio really make it their own by rejuvenating the genres rather than simply replicating them.
This is music at its most forthright, in your face, and utterly unapologetic for being so. REV is the band’s 11th album since forming in 1985, and the insane standard they have set for themselves over the years hasn’t abated one bit. That sense of danger, excitement, and unpredictability is totally in evidence on some choice cuts such as ‘My Hat’, ‘Hard Scrabbled Woman’, and ‘Scenery Going By’.
One of the most charming aspects of this outfit is their sense of fun and a complete lack of pretension. This is music straight-up, shaken not stirred.
For lovers of raw and unfiltered rock, uncompromised by the world around it, this is a must. For the uninitiated, welcome to the world of The Reverend Horton Heat. Make sure you catch one of their utterly blistering live shows next time they’re in the country.
Listen to ‘Longest Gonest Man’ from REV here:
