Deadcats

At 12 years old, Deadcats pretty much hold the crown as longhorns in Canada’s psychobilly scene. And as is to be expected with the majority of psychobilly, the release of fourth full-length effort Feline 500 finds the band apparently locked in some sort of time warp that refuses to allow for any degree of progression in terms of either technical ability, subject matter or sonic deviation. However, while this could spell disaster for most other bands, in this case it is nothing but an enjoyable ride. Swinging closer to the true rockabilly side of the narrow, narrow road their genre travels, twang-y guitars and swingin’ drum beats are reminiscent of Stray Cats but the vocal delivery features enough grit and sarcasm to emit an aura that maybe these guys were influential to the likes of the new psychobilly breed such as Mad Sin. Heaps of intertwining harmonies weave amongst the overall shuffle beat and back up Deadbolt-ish tongue-in-cheek tunes like "Peggy Suicide,” "Fixen For A Vixen” and "Mummified Baby.” Simplistic production and even simpler riffs make for a light-hearted, upbeat listen that is enjoyable and holds far more validity than most of the swill backing up this sewer of a scene over the past three years.