“you’re a fool to play things cool / when you’ve got everything to lose”
Brash and loud and a bit honky-tonk, the 22-20s burst out of my iPod. Their music makes me want to thrash at a guitar or wallop on a bass for a while. With a nice bottle of whiskey in the other hand, of course.
With inspiration from seventies southern-rock bands, the blues, and early rock and roll, the 22-20s come at you full-force. The vocals, strong and aggressive, are the perfect match for the music: imagine the Old 97’s on steroids. Or cocaine. Rollicking tunes are the modus operandi here, as is an extremely tight rhythm section. Turn their self-titled album up loud.
“Devil in Me” begins the album with confidence, followed by the whirling, layered blues song “Such a Fool.” “Baby Brings Bad News” is exactly what it sounds like—a slow, sultry anti-love song. And “22 Days” is amphetamine music, with grinding guitars, subversive feedback, and one wicked bass that keeps the song rolling like a train out of control.
But the breakaway song is “Why Don’t You Do It for Me?”—a catchy, rumbling tune that rages. The song starts with, “Well, you look so good in the photograph / but you never dress up for me / Well, you look so good in the photograph / but you never dress up for me / Well, I’m your man / Why don’t you do it for me? / Well, I’m your man / Why don’t you do it for me?” and then the music takes over and propels it forward with an irresistible energy that builds and builds until it’s ready to explode.
Of course, there are stumbling blocks, like “Friends,” which is a ballad that comes off way too hokey and Bob Dylan-y. Or another slow song, “The Things that Lovers Do.” Heck, you can tell by the title how that one is going to come out.
Hey guys, stick to what you’re good at: old-fashioned, dirty, guitar-driven, bluesy rock and roll—that makes me feel alive.