Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By The Chocolate Watchband, Dirty Water Records 2018.
The Chocolate Watchband are genuine throwbacks to the psychedelic 1960s.
They say if you can remember the 60s you weren’t really there, but this band certainly was.
The Californian locals flourished in the late 60s with a string of hit singles such as Are You going To Be There, Let’s Talk About Girls, Misty Lane, No Way out and In The Past.
Like most bands of the time their star burned brightly but briefly and by the early 1970s they had called it quits – but then in 1999 they reunited and started playing the pub/club circuits.
They were surprised to find that they still had a loyal fan base.
They played for the enjoyment and didn’t release any new material until last year when This Is My Voice hit the charts and amazed the critics with the quality of the songs and performances.
What is so impressive about this album is that the band have not remained musically stuck in the 60s.
They have created a record that draws upon their earlier work of raunchy grooves and psych trips but have opted for a more progressive and modern rock sound.
The new songs are politically engaged.
Till The Daylight Comes opens with a snippet of a Trump speech while This Is My Voice opens with a warning clap of thunder as the lyrics intone This is not the way it’s meant to be… It’s easier to lie today facts don’t get in the way.
They have included four covers on the disc and each is fantastic.
The album opens with their version of The Mothers Of Invention’s Trouble Every Day which is as fresh and relevant today as it was when written by Zapper all those years ago.
They also do great versions of Music Machine’s Talk Talk, The Seeds Can’t Seem To Make You Mine, and Dylan’s Desolation Row.
One of the standout tracks harks back to their raunchy 60s beginnings but once again its treatment is 21st century.
Secret Rendezvous is a fabulous straight out thrash rocker.
The band has made a deliberate decision to avoid the nostalgia band tag that many of their contemporaries have been tagged with.
They have new ideas and things that they want to say that are contemporary.
It’s a delicate balance to remain true to themselves and their long term fans.
I think this album is great and they have achieved their objective.
