Strange
things are happening in the weird and wild West Country………….hotter than a
carjacked Ford Capri with a boot full of K-Tel albums, Bath/Bristol retro rockers
Ulysses deliver a new album of 70s influenced quirky pop delights and to die
for big riffs with what is fast becoming their own distinct sound……… a nether
land between psych, glam and rock, guitar stroking and pop sheen. With a
knowing wink, Ulysses have smashed together the best parts of the pre-Punk era
and with a combination of influences as diverse as, amongst others, Syd
Barrett, psych-era Stones, The Cars, Thin Lizzy, Hot Chocolate, Sailor, Alvin
Stardust and Paul McCartney & Wings, Law And Order is a fusion of Glam Rock
stompers, cocksure riffarama, Prog/Psych dexterity and radio friendly Power Pop
that lovers of classic rock will go nuts over.
Stylistically
Law And Order comes from the period between 1970-1975 just after 60s BritPsych
had splintered into a million pieces and where once people were fair and had
sky in their hair, they were more than content to boogie like they were born to
it. With modern studio polish added by producer Steve Evans (Robert Plant
/ Siouxsie / Goldfrapp), Ulysses have successfully taken classic sounds, familiar
to those of a certain age, and with a modern Psych/Prog/Rock sensibility have
reworked them for a new audience. If on their last long player Ulysses brought
their sassy influences to the heart of the new rock elite, this full-length
effort ups the songwriting and musicianship with hi fi production and licks
aplenty……..opening with the album’s title track, Ulysses mine the same rich
Pop/Rock seam that bands such as Cheap Trick and the Shoes worked back in the
70s and the track 'Typical Scorpio' combines Shoes-like Power Pop with Elvis
Costello & The Attractions' mid-60s pop styled new wave edge, proving that
it's not all long hair and soloing. However there is lots to love for fans of
heavy guitar rock with a twin axe attack, both brutal and melodic, reminiscent
of the classic Robertson/Gorham Thin Lizzy line-up with ‘Come On This City’s Gone’
being a near facsimile of the song structure and distinctive duel guitar play
off from the Jailbreak/Bad Reputation period. Beautifully constructed, Law And
Order is a sonic smorgasbord of Seventies sounds, along with heavy Glam Rock
stompers like ‘Dirty Weekend’ and ‘Smiling’, the Psychedelic Pop swirl of ‘Yellow
Sunshine’ and the face melting, spleen splitting, guitar shredding album closer
'How Long', an entirely
new dimension to Ulysses' repertoire is revealed with Purson's front person
Rosalie Cunningham's beautiful duet on the Progressive Folk-tinged 'Song That
Has To Be Sung'. Although with one foot planted firmly in the era of loon
pants, tank tops, stack heels and Chopper bikes, Law And Order is not completely
a retro reconstruction for people who thought the day the music died was when
Never Mind The Bollocks hit the shops but a brilliant, witty, relevant record
that is not afraid to show it’s influences……………………highly recommended.
Law And
Order will be out on CD and Download 3rd June 2016 via Black Glove Recordings
and available from all the usual outlets…………a pre-order link is coming soon, so
check the Ulysses website and Facebook page for more details.
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