Johnny Conqueroo – Washed Up
Experimental Blues Rock
Fantastico Records – December 2, 2016
Johnny Conqueroo has enjoyed some fantastic (and well-deserved) success over the last two years or so. They released their self-titled EP last summer and have played a bunch of shows and local festivals, gaining a large following in a relatively short time. This Friday, they follow all that up with the release of their first full-length, Washed Up.
The forty-four minute album is ten songs long (eight and a half are originals), and though it explores a wide range of sounds over its course, it remains cohesive and engaging throughout. The lead-off // title-track is fun, catchy, and youthful – "Washed Up" expands the sound from the three-piece's last release with bells, handclaps, and background vocals. "High Tiding" is a great take on fellow neo-blues musician, Nick Waterhouse, sped up and with busier instrumentation. My favorite of the album may be "Dancin With You," a song whose unique texture catches your ear the very moment it starts, doubling the lead guitar on synthesizer during the intro and the bits between verses. The track is punctuated with spoken backgrounds of 'dancin' and 'groovin,' and fleshed out the rest of the way with shakers, shuffling drums, and a grooving bassline. "The Key" could nearly pass for The Doors, complete with 'oompah' organ and a vocal melody placed right in the harmony the way Jim Morrison might've done.
The latter half of the record is impressively strong and perhaps more experimental than the first half. "Who Do You Trust" is quick with barked vocals and warped guitars that remind me just a little of fellow Kentuckians, Teal Grapefruit. The slow, weighty drone of "Palindrone" goes along for nearly seven minutes with sparse vocals, but the instrumentation and intensity swells and recedes well, keeping the track interesting throughout. "Grinding on Sand" is lo-fi and crunchy with a totally bizarre texture of lap steel (and something, maybe whistling?) – it's really far-out. The final track, "Take 5," is sort of a cover on the jazz piece made famous by Dave Brubeck – a brief, and fairly faithful rendition of the tune starts around the three-minute mark, sandwiched between two mirroring sections of high-energy rock.
Washed Up comes out this Friday at the band's release show at The Burl, where I assume you'll be able to get the album in physical form – the photography and layout of the whole package wraps the whole thing well, perfectly matching the vibe of the album. It's exciting to see such a high-quality release from Johnny Conqueroo, and to hear them continue to grow and establish their sound. Grab yourself a copy and give it a listen when it comes out – it's great, fun stuff.
Tracks I Liked: Washed Up!, Dancin With You!!!, Who Do You Trust?!!, Palindrone!, Grinding on Sand!, Take 5!!
Ben Southworth – November 27, 2016 – Kenwick Place
Written by bensouthworth Posted in Albums, Ben, Reviews	Tagged with Blues, blues rock, brubeck, dave brubeck, experimental blues, hard psych, johnny conqueroo, kentucky, lexington, nick waterhouse, psych, psychedelia, take five, washed up, waterhouse
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