When is an old-school rock and roll tune, not an old-school rock and roll tune? When it is a masterclass in getting the most out of a song. And “Holy Mother of God,” the new one from Greg Hoy & The Boys, is precisely that.
In its guise of lead single from this EP of the same name, the original track is a neat slice of rock ‘n’ roll, just as God (or at least his holy mother) intended it. It is one of those cool, foot-on-the-monitor, fist-in-the-air, no-nonsense groovers that rock and roll is built on. But, the real charm here is, having established such a brilliant baseline, where they take the song next.
The fact that they can call on none other than Supersuckers’ main man, Eddie Spaghetti, to retool the piece as a supple and subtle Tex-Mex border ballad speaks volumes. Most bands would stop there, but not these Boys. The demo version reveals that the original take of the song is closer to the ballad than the rocker, and there is even room for a skanking, ska-ed-up run-through, too.
And what have we learned from all this switching and reworking? Well, this: If you write a good song in the first place, then you can do anything you like with it, and it still works. In “Holy Mother of God,” Greg Hoy & the Boys have a great song.
Website
Twitter
Spotify
Bandcamp
YouTube
