Underneath The Rainbow

Black Lips have always been weird and wonderful. A self-confessed ‘flower-punk’ band from Atlanta, Georgia, the four-piece have built a reputation on a fierce, fluid-centric live show and unruly Southern-obsessed punk.

On Underneath The Rainbow, gone is the feedback and squealing. Instead, these elements have been replaced with what could almost be defined as placidness, but never fear – the Black Lips are still forging ahead with their definitive weirdness.

The more alienating elements of their sound are gone and they’ve tightened up their songwriting. Indeed, there’s no doubt that this band definitely know their way around a chord or two.

With Patrick Carney (The Black Keys’ drummer) at the production helm, the group have churned out a ‘singles fest’ of tracks that are all tied together by the satanic brilliance of Southern sentiment. There’s an intimidating jangle present in all the tracks that snakes its way around the album with strutting defiance, and the trademark whiskey warble of Cole Alexander is still ever-present.

Songs like ‘Funny’, ‘Boys In The Wood’, and ‘Drive-By Buddy’ are especially potent tracks. They steam with an intoxicating and drunken charm, swirling round the moonshine in their mouths before spitting it out and leaning in for a wet, slobbering kiss.

It is these kind of unique, unafraid elements that make the Black Lips such a great band to listen to, and Underneath The Rainbow is no exception.

Listen to ‘Boys In The Hood’ from Underneath The Rainbow here:

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