On their fourth demo The Graceful Slicks aren’t dramatically changing their sound, developing in new directions or adding a whole lot of detail and finesse to what they do. I’d be inclined to think that this is intentional. As a band that seems keen to recreate the mid-1960s drug-damaged sound of no end of lost greats to be found on countless garage/punk/psychedelia compilations, they’ve grasped that this music isn’t about slick performances or grand musical statements; it’s about getting a tune together and getting it out there with a degree of energy and enthusiasm that could easily be dulled with over-‘musicianship’, for want of a better term.
So, the first of three tracks, ‘Railroad’, begins with a simple, moody bassline, with drone-based guitar lines and freaked-out blues riffs dropping in and out amongst weary, almost atonal vocals that fit the mood perfectly and recall, oddly, the loping barked vocals of Shaun Ryder. It, along with ‘Teacher’, are like The Chocolate Watchband as reverberated through the Paisley Underground sound of the early 1980s and the drone-rock of late 1980s Loop and Spacemen 3. ‘Teacher’ has a similar pace and construction, but with a somewhat more positive feel to its melodies and vocal lines: the sunshine after the storm, or something, with echoed guitar arpeggios forming pleasing facets of sound. It also includes a doubling-up of tempo towards the end, which brings it into more freakbeat-styled areas, leading comfortably into ‘Blood Red Hair’. This final track eschews the groovier, baggier rhythms – themselves perfectly enjoyable and captivating, mind – replacing them with something that’s more Pebbles volume three than volume one; and if you get that reference you’ll probably like it. A psychobilly-tinged high speed romp through a freaked-out love song.
Long may The Graceful Slicks continue not to develop, in the best possible way. To me, they’re an entertaining reminder of a great musical time, in both style and substance, and if they don’t want to move on from that, it’d be just fine.