CD REVIEW: ELLIOT & THE AUDIO KINGS – Elliot & the Audio Kings

Shane | 27 February 2017 | Reply

CD REVIEW: ELLIOT & THE AUDIO KINGS – Elliot & the Audio Kings
Busted Flat Records
July 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

Mike Elliot and his Audio Kings – drummer Jonny Sauder and Scott Fitzpatrick’s doghouse bass – demand they are “old school, not retro,” and it’s clear from the first lesson that their description is bang on the money. This debut album is away cool auditory journey back to the ‘50s with a boisterous Sun Studios vibe.

The trio, who hail from the Kitchener area of Ontario in Canada, are all about that perfect storm where blues, country, bluegrass, and rockabilly all collided, and rock n’ roll was born.

Laying down bluesy licks with a rich and warm ‘live off the floor’ feel, the album features shuffles and rockers, hot grooves and jumpin’ blues, and even the odd Stray Cats-styled strut. There’s a swampy slave blues feel to Come On Home, a Springsteen-like blue collar lyric to Another Day, Another Dollar, and a great bar room feel to the whole record.

Elliot & the Audio King’s bio states that they bring things down to “the essential blues ingredients – wood, wire, blood and bones, and a 60-cycle hum,” and that’s exactly what you’ll get from this enjoyable, authentic record.