Monday, January 1, 2018

The Rhythm Reactorz "Feel The Fallout Of The...Rhythm Reactorz"

(Crazy Love Records 2017)

Run Away
Hopeless
Kid
Lucy
Muerta
Matador
Lost Time
Chloe Cries
Broken Hearted Dreamers
Never Will Forget
Chalk Line Blues

When I think of neo rockabilly my mind immediately zones in on the UK and Europe. But The Rhythm Reactorz from Los Angeles have their own version of neo rockabilly. It's a more smooth or maybe eloquent version of the raucous neo sounds we get over this side of the pond. Smooth and eloquent pretty much sum up the sounds emanating from my headphones when listening to The Rhythm Reactorz. While there is a pounding double bass and drums back beat, the guitar and vocals give The Rhythm Reactorz a kind of plush velvet sound. There's a kind of dark romantic vibe going on in the melodies and guitar playing. I fucking love it! There's no bullshit about bopping or cadillacs to be heard here. Lyrically it's mainly comprised of songs about love and women. But there's no clichéd rhyming schemes or words you can fill in before they're even sang. This is some excellently crafted stuff, both lyrically and musically. There's a certain melancholia to Tony Pelayo's vocals that adds a sincerity to the songs. Don't get me wrong though, there's not a slow song on the entire album. It's all slap-tastic neo rockabilly. It's the rhythms and vocals sitting on top of the beat that sets them apart from their less-than-original counterparts. It's rockabilly with substance. Who would have thought there was such a thing?
The O'Prez

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