King Khan & The Shrines
‘Idle No More’
Merge Records
It’s not as if this fella has ever been ‘Idle’, with various albums out there that he has been involved with during the many years he has been performing in the entertainment business, King Khan and his Shrines are back with a serious bang. His new album ‘Idle No More’ may have been 6 years in the making since his last long player ‘The Supreme Genius Of’ was released on Vice but the wait was well worth it, as this new offering has been my soundtrack of the entire summer.
The full 40 minutes is (mainly) full of catchy, upbeat tracks that ooze soul, spill psychedelic tinged magic with the use of killer horn sections, mesmerizing guitar licks and perfect swing that are fueled by Khan’s cheeky (and sometimes serous) lyrics.
There are many stand outs amongst the full twelve tracks, notably the 70’s flowing ‘Thorn in Her Pride’, the high rolling ‘Luckiest Man’ the majestic opener ‘Born To Die’ to the drunken lullaby barfly vibes of ‘Of Madness I Dream’ that closes it. In between you will find Khan discussing personal loss, wars, politics and much more. He is one of the last performers out there, a master amongst a zillion empty, soulless bands who manage to fill the airwaves with impersonal junk on a daily basis so we are lucky to still have performers like him who bring the full stage show to you via record form. This collection of songs is like a show and makes your ass swing from head to tail.
If you are looking for a lift to get you through the Autumn months, make sure you download this peach as King Khan has nailed a beautiful record here and still rules the stage. Do not miss out.
For lovers of Black Lips, MC5, Rocket From The Crypt.
Zac