The place was Palma Music Studios, October 2022. The funky four from Sweden are spotted drinking margaritas and Estrella Damms during the sunny days but after siesta they are layin’ down the loud foundation of what will be the eighth ELECTRIC BOYS album.
“The pandemic inspired to some more serious subjects so ‘Ups!de Down’, the previous album released in 2021, was a slightly darker album, even though hope was always present”, says Conny Bloom, the band’s main songsmith.
”Grand Explosivos”, the upcoming new Electric Boys album to be released September 15th is, however, quite the opposite. It might actually be that the boys are throwing the best party songs since Groovus Maximus.
The album is a hard-rockin’, melodic, full of funk & fun joyride, which has become somewhat of the band’s trademark sound. The Boys are clearly enjoying playing together and we are looking forward to one helluva party album at the end of the summer.
The opening track ‘When Life Treats You Funky’ is all fans will need to hear to know that things are sounding very good indeed. There’s an immediacy to the opening of that song that casts your mind back to gems of the catalogue like ‘Groovus Maximus’: there’s almost more fun in that one song than we had on the rather dark pandemic-born last outing ‘Ups!de Down’.
We hold that thought for the out and out funky Rock and Roll of ‘Better Safe Than Sober’ with it’s bouncing groove and breakneck pace. Indeed the time third track ‘I’ve Got A Feelin’’ kicks in you’re already feeling that this might be the complete package we’ve been waiting for. The song itself is classic Hard Rock and whilst it lacks that shot of funk it’s a slick number pinned to a rock solid riff that screams 80s Rock.
The album’s set piece ‘And The Band Played On (Part 1)’ (Part two rounds out the record) is a quirky mid tempo number that throw in the kitchen sink. With glimpses of The Stones, country picking, soulful backing vocals and an almost Southern Rock riff it’s shot through with the hand of funk and some killer guitar. It’s one that you can imagine sounding epic live and is bookended by the two singles.
‘Domestic Blitz’ is just sheer fun, a rock solid riff and harder edge kick up a storm as it bass drives it all along. It’s a sort of funked up Zodiac Mindwarp – like statement that really hits the spot.
The infectious ‘Karma’s Gonna Get You’ follows all slick and funky; before ‘Missed Her By A Minute’ just makes you smile, it’s another seriously good song, a little lighter but just as catchy. ‘Learjet’ completes a trifecta of mid album gems with a nice down and dirty rocker.
The intriguingly-titled ‘Cozmic Jagger’ is shorter and sweeter with a funky groove – a nice shot of fun. ‘The Great Believer’ on the other hand rides a real pounding beat and is shot through with harmonies and a wailing guitar.
We close with ‘And The Band Played On (Part 2)’ a short and succinct instrumental extension of the earlier song. A nice way to draw it all together.
If you loved these guys back in the day then whilst it’s hard to battle the nostalgia for the 70s groove rock and psychedelia-laden ‘Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride’ and the glorious ‘Groovus Maximus’, there is more of a sonic echo here than you might imagine.
Some bands look back at their early work and feel that they have to move on, others just get fixated on endlessly repeating themselves. Here you feel that Electric Boys have chosen the best of both worlds – embracing the past but also managing to make it sound as fresh and exciting as ever.
A real contender for rock n’ roll album of the year.
1. When Life Treats You Funky
2. Better Safe Than Sober
3. I’ve Got A Feelin’
4. And The Band Played On (Part 1)
5. Domestic Blitz
6. Karma’s Gonna Get You
7. Missed Her By A Minute
8. Learjet
9. Cozmic Jagger
10. The Great Believer
11. And The Band Played On (Part 2)
Conny Bloom - Lead Vocals, Guitars
Andy Christell - Bass, Vocals
Martin Thomander - Guitars, Vocals
Jolle Atlagic - Drums
Electric Boys – Grand Explosivos 2023, MP3+FLAC
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