Good Bad Not Evil almost lead to a big break-through, but then the last record, 200 Million Thousand, put it all into perspective for the time being. Now, it could actually happen. And that’s much less due to the rather strategical choice of the producer Mark Ronson than to the highly convincing songwriting: sing-along-choruses on almost every track, high tempo, a wide range of variation and a delight in playing that almost jumps straight into the listeners’ ears. Thankfully, Ronson’s sound-correction towards a smooth retro-Rock, which some of the fans had feared, almost didn’t happen, at all – Black Lips keep on sounding like Garage, even now that the respective instruments are easier to single out and that some baritone saxophones’ appearances add to the sound of the band. In particular, the drummer Joe’s development is most impressive, since he has now become a songwriter and the third singer. For the first single, Go Out And Get It, he even plays the role of the front man, which he also does in the video (with support of the Vivian Girls) with visible joy. Those, who reduce this band to their highly energetic and occasionally scandalous live-shows, will finally be disabused by Arabia Mountain. The album documents impressively the development of four friends with only one mission: to carry their flower-punk out into the world.
Arabia Mountain
