Whiskey Go Gos - ProudTales to Them of Us

Thu 14th Jun, 2007 in Music Reviews

There are several things that are inevitable in rock music reviews. Reviews of Jet have to mention the Rolling Stones and a certain Iggy Pop riff; reviews of Wolfmother must mention Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath; and now Whiskey Go Gos reviews will have to mention Kings of Leon.

Both Jet and Wolfmother managed to deflect the copy-cat criticism with the aide of hit singles, but the Whiskeys are unlikely to be as lucky. For a start the band that they are so blatantly copying are at the height of their powers. Even the timing is out as the Kings of Leon have already released a damn fine record this year. A record that featured the epic Knocked Up, howling Charmer and icy single On Call – and that’s just the first three tracks on the record. If you’re going to use a template for your band’s sound it’s probably a good choice to find a sound that’s actually in need of a revival.

The biggest problem with the plagiarism isn’t so much the tunes or lyrics, it’s the vocals. Lead man Matt Hutchinson ’s voice is so close to Caleb Followill’s drawl that he’s likely to face arrest for identity theft. For a Melbourne based band these boys also seem oddly fixated on the stars and stripes, with tunes such as Kentucky Blues, Rodeo and Home Chicago.

For fans of the Leon boys there are moments here that you could listen to as B-sides or think of as a bonus EP. The first three tracks on offer Kentucky Blues, 2 Cent Girl and Rodeo all deliver the tight jeaned swagger we expect from the Kings of Leon. But after these fine imitations the remainder of the album diminishes in quality. If you haven’t replaced this album with a genuine Kings of Leon album already, the final song Johnny Boy will have you reaching for the shotgun; its excreteable warble can only be the result of generations of moonshine induced inbreeding.

The Whiskeys may be able to find a niche as a live substitute for the Kings of Leon on the local scene. But good as the Kings are it’s difficult to imagine the need for a devoted covers band. Essentially the Whiskey’s are the southern rock version of BABBA – and that’s a weird and unnecessary concept. At least if the Leon boys find religion there’s a vaguely serviceable replacement stalking them and scrounging in their trash for riffs.