I do believe that I am smiling and smiling inanely at that. The cause of this diversion from my usual, heavily stylised grumpiness? Garage rock. Scottish garage rock at that. I can’t actually recall if The Creeping Ivies have dared to cross the threshold at Bluesbunny Towers before but, if they have done so, then I reckon that they would have brought beer.
You see, there’s a madness to “Chicken Voodoo Blues” that suggest the best form of delinquency. Nonsensical words, grungy guitars, kicked to death drums and Becca Bomb’s unbalanced, from a psychological perspective, vocals make for an irresistible mix. “Don’t Cry” has never had the attention of Mr Sheen and, accordingly, positively revels in its pound shop hissing and humming naturalness. It ain’t what you do but how you do it.
“Ghost Train”, the title track of this short three track EP, takes the stripped out Cramps route to a Halloween party style antithesis to antiseptic musical modernism. Put that all together and the result is a case of I smile therefore I am. And Becca Bomb is no Stepford wife. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll but I like it, like it and Guinness too!
The EP is, was or will be available from Bandcamp.