Released July 2023 on Thousands Records Reviewed August 2023 Buy the album here: https://shop.thousandsrecords.jp/ca18/5062/p-r-s/
“Sweet Woman” is an album by the Japanese rockabilly trio, The Sun Volcanoes. The core members of the band are; vocal and acoustic guitar – Keiko, upright bass – Masato and on drums – Tattun. They also have guest guitarists; Big Boy Shiro Souta from Souta & the Blitz Attack Boys and Peter from The Rizlaz. Most of the songs on this album are original rockabilly numbers written by the singer, Keiko. The tracks were recorded in a Tokyo rehearsal studio between February and April 2023 with the help of their friend Yukihito.
Review Track by track: Driving Me Crazy – the first track sets the tone nicely for the rest of the album. A nice guitar driven out and out rockabilly track.
Did You Tell Me – More high energy rockabilly, the drums kick it off supported by slap bass. Keiko’s voice has emotion and drive. A wild guitar solo fits nicely in the middle.
My Killer Legs – The acoustic guitar at the start may lead you to think that the band are easing off the throttle, but that is not the case. A good example of modern rockabilly.
Sweet Woman – This is much more an authentic rockabilly track in that it sounds like it has been cut in the 50s. A good bopper.
Mad Man – The bass player really shows off his obvious talents on this fast moving bopper. This rocks at a breakneck pace! My favourite track of the ten.
Woman On The Train – Again the acoustic guitar sets the pace for this track which is not as wild as some on this album but a nice rocker nonetheless.
Bad Mad Baby – A good opening guitar riff before the drums and bass kick in. Unlike the previous tracks Keiko does have some backing vocals and I think they work well.
In The Light – Keiko’s slightly haunting voice sounds great on the first few bars of this ballad but the pace does kick up a bit as the rest of the band come in. An interesting track and it is a nice contrast to wilder tracks here.
You Stole My Heart – This is an out and out ballad. Some nice guitar playing is a good backing to Keiko’s emotional singing.
Raging Sea – Back to good old rock ‘n’ roll for the final track. Keiko clearly wants love like a raging sea. I have a feeling she will get her wish.
Rockabilly has had a cult following in Japan for many years and it is good to hear bands from that country writing and recording the genre with such talent and passion. I like the fact the band have included a couple of slower tracks to show they are not just about the fast and furious stuff. An interesting album that's well worth checking out.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/GCuuUY1RGxY Reviewed by Jailhouse John Alexander
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