Hats maan! You can tell a lot about a band from the hats they wear. So when I see the cover of ‘November Shadows,’ the new one from Bad Valentines, and the band sporting natty fedoras and wide-brimmed missionary hats, headscarves, and Donnie caps, the trappings of the seriously cool, it is almost guaranteed that something great will ensue from a song wrapped in an image like that.
And so it does. This latest single sits at that infectious end of the rock ‘n’ roll sound, driving along like a bad arse, firing off low-slung guitar salvos to a back beat and bass line that swings and struts, grooves and grinds. That, dear reader, is the difference between rock ‘n’ roll and its less sexy, less switched on younger sibling, rock!
As we head into the colder weather, a song about embracing those shadows which loom larger as each day passes is perfectly timed, but it also has a darker undercurrent, the shadows perhaps standing in as a metaphor for loneliness and disconnection. And that is the great thing here: a song about isolation that rocks like a bastard and makes you want to hit the dance floor of the rock club and feel part of your tribe.
This is a band that wears its sonic heart on its musical sleeve; cool influences abound from the 80s glam revival (which their Finnish home had a significant hand in) to 70s punk, especially the US sound, which was always more based in dirty rock and roll than the floucy UK art college ethic, and right back to 60s garage bands. In short, all the right stuff.
Hats…it’s where it’s at. Imagine how much more I would have written if I could see their shoes!
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