Screws

What the hell is going on? It's as if Mick Collins' two main projects have switched personalities. The Dirtbombs used to be the scrappy ones and the Screws were the classy ones! Well, this must be Freaky Friday because the Screws are now clearly the redheaded stepchildren of Mick Collins' musical family because this album lacks most of the potent freshness that this group's debut possessed. This collection of covers is still more interesting than most people's best material, but when you combine the great slide work of ex-Red Aunts member Terri Wahl with Collins' patented croon, the results should set your CD speakers on fire, instead of just warming them up a little bit. Part of the problem may be that there is a whole new rhythm section used here, and they just don't measure up to their predecessor's sparkle. Also, the decision to let fellow ex-Red Aunts cutie-pie guitarist Kerry Davis play drums on three songs is a highly questionable one. Still, any record with a cover of Hendrix's "Strange Things" can't all be bad.