Taking his cue from Bob Dylan while augmenting his guitar with percussion and a full brass band, Elvis isn't going to let the imminence of something like Doomsday get him down. no, he's going to forgive and forget and have a right good oompah knees-up, and everyone's invited, as he sings, 'And though you voted for that awful man / I would never refuse your hand / On Doomsday.' Suddenly, I too feel a whole lot better about things.
'Gypsy Davy' not only brings down the tempo, but also the mood, and Elvis' take on this traditional number involves the first three verses being played with the sparsest of instrumentation and delivered like a dirge before crushing power chords, sweeping strings and bold brass erupt and bring even more weight to the (funeral) party.
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There are a couple of rather mundane tracks in the form of 'Stay Zombie Stay' and 'Weeping Mary,' the latter of which kicks into a harmony-filled rockabilly workout in the last minute, but 'Stop Drop Rock 'n' Roll' does just what it says on the tin, so to speak, delivering some good ol' fashioned fifties-style rock 'n' roll with panache.
The EP comes full-circle with 'Slow Doomsday,' a version of the lead track slowed to a crawl, but with a old-time dancehall feel. It's certainly not yer average retro, and while everything's going 80s, Elvis Perkins stands out for doing something different.
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