CD REVIEW: PLAINRIDE – Return Of The Jackalope

CD REVIEW: PLAINRIDE – Return Of The Jackalope
Beerfuzz Records
24 July, 2015
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 ½ /10

“Kickass stoner rock n’ roll”, says Plainride’s bio next to the heading, ‘genre’, and I have to say: they nailed it… and even though I don’t recall geography lessons teaching us about any deserts anywhere near Cologne, Germany, these guys have the desert dust coursing through their veins.

Arriving in it’s own custom-made envelope, Plainride’s debut album (the four-piece formed in 2013 and have wasted no time, scoring support slots for the likes of Nashville Pussy, 1000 Mods, Greenleaf, Planet Of Zeus and The Atomic Bitchwax), one thing these bunnies do is put together an impressive PR pack. Another is writing some kickass tunes.

In amongst the Kyuss-alike chug of Dog, the QOTSA-meets-White Zombie groove of Challenger ’69, the near-metal growl of The News, and similar tips of the antlered head (their mascot, the titular Jackalope, is described in the accompanying literature as “the American version of the Bavarian Wolpertinger or Hasenbock – basically a jackrabbit with antlers”), there is some truly original writing going on.

The near-spoken word (The Tale Of) Private John Colter, the excellently titled (The Beards Upon) Mt. Rushmore, the menacing Vengeance, all bring something new to a niche genre which in the hands of the less-talented can sometimes edge towards the repetitious.

Category: CD Reviews