Not that he's complaining or anything, but this reviewer seems to be inundated by new releases from Canada just now. Every third jiffy bag or so seems to originate from the great Maple State and - thrillingly – many of them are extremely good indeed.
The latest slice of warped sonic bliss to land on this writer's doormat is 'The Evilling' by the delightfully-monikered EVIL FARM CHILDREN. A trio of experienced garage-rock aficionados from straight outta the Ottawa hinterland, they are led by one Dave Kerr – a man wielding the meanest Gretsch since X's Billy Zoom – and rock like Beelzebub's very own rottweilers are snapping at their heels.
This is without question, a very good thing indeed. 'The Evilling' may come housed in a daft, Sci-Fi/ Stephen King pastiche of a sleeve, but the music contained within is played with heart, muscle,volume and sincerity. Sure, its' 50s-influenced surf-punk sounds are probably as anachronistic as hell in these conservative, recessionary days, but who the heck's complaining? It sounds tremendous to these ears.
The spills and thrills come thick and fast. Tracks like 'Border Blaster', supercharged zombie love song 'Brain Buffet' and the low-ridin' – and self-explanatory – 'Booze Can' are rabid, irresistible bar-room brawlers, although discipline always tempers the group's inherent power. Bands with a similar adherence to all-out, piledriving rock'n'roll like The Blasters and New Christs spring to mind most of the time, though the murder ballad 'Valley Justice' – sung with real relish by bassist Janice Fitzsimmons – proves that the Evil ones can also knock together fatalistic, Americana-tinged delights worthy of The Handsome Family or Calexico when they put their minds to it.
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A trio of rubber-burning instrumentals punctuate the anthems. 'Cone of Silence' is a drag strip riot of Link Wray-style power; 'Greasy' again adds a tinge of fast'n'furious Americana with Kerr's fingers flying like an amphetamined Albert Lee while the drum-heavy 'Knuckle Duster' sounds every bit as lunkheaded and brilliant as its' title suggests.
Your reviewer must confess prior ignorance of the album's sole cover – Max Webster's 'Hangover' – but it sonds like Dick Dale jamming with The Sex Pistols and that's more than good enough. The closing 'Straight'n'Narrow', meanwhile, is a bruising ode to hard times for honest – if permanently hungover – men and women and ensures 'The Evilling' goes down with all guns blazing. Not that it ever showed any signs of wimping out anyway.
Careering from cartoony to sinister and slashing away at all points in between, Evil Farm Children can call up their authentic garage rock thunder seemingly at will. Lock up yer combine harvesters, 'cos something wicked this way comes.
(http://www.myspace.com/evilfarmchildren)
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