Stray Cats

40 Mascot records

The iconic rock ’n’ roll trio is back! To celebrate their 40th anniversary, the Stray Cats have a new 12-track album, 40, and they sound as great as ever. There’s something uniquely infectious about guitar/upright bass/drums and, when it’s played as dynamically as Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom do here, it’s hard not to feel invigorated. As leader, Brian Setzer is a force to be reckoned with; his slapback vocals and his slightly driven Gretsch guitar are full of conviction, be he hollering, yelping, blazing the ’board with bluesy phrases or screaming with doublestop bends.

Opener, Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me), is like they’ve never been away – exclamatory band unison hits and then they’re off into up-tempo swing with great chord voicings from Brian and a ripping solo with bends and a semi chromatic final descent that would have Bill Haley’s Danny Cedrone nodding in approval. Good times follow with Rock It Off, as the band swings hard and Brian plays two short solos filled with stunning single-note licks and slippery doublestops. The Beatles-esque opening riff on Cry Danger continues the party vibe; we like the climbing pre-chorus chords, the band chorus vocals and the rousing solo. As for the instrumental, Desperado, the band sounds great with Brian’s spring reverb and slapback guitar tone shaping a vibrant spotlight performance.

It’s a magnificent return for this rockin’ combo and the news gets even better – the Cats kick off on a UK tour in Birmingham on 23 June. Welcome back, guys. We’re glad you didn’t stray away forever! [JS]

Standout track: Desperado For fans of: Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup