Dan Sartain - 'Replacement Man' (One Little Indian) Released 25/09/06

Awopbopaloobop-alopbamboom! Reverb-drenched sound, rudimentary three-chord strum, girl trouble lyrics, charging boom-chicka-boom groove seemingly determined to shred the acoustic guitar its emerging from to splinters, twang-tastic licks and more attitude than the Million Dollar Quintet on a whiskey and pills binge. The year is 1956, and a hip cat with shit-hot tunes for sale steps on Sun Records-era Johnny Cash's blue suede shoes by attempting to take his place on the rockabilly throne with ‘Replacement Man’. Only it's 2006. But Dan Sartain sidesteps musty whiffs of retro irrelevancy by revving up the primal 50's sound until a rusty relic of interest only to the greasy quiff'ed throngs at rock 'n' roll revivals becomes a snarling beast fit for modern consumption. Mixing the brawn of classic rockabilly with new wave spikiness, the Birmingham, Alabama rocker's not keeping the patent office staff in overtime hours, but a tune this organically electrified is like a gale-force breath of fresh air next to the processed pap we are force-fed these days. The woo-hoo fuelled B-side 'Indian Ink' is ace as well, which bodes well for new platter 'Join Dan Sartain'. On this form, few will want to disobey that command.