The band name is little misleading. The half-English 4-piece based in Switzerland are neither hillbillies and are far from explosive. It would be more accurate to describe them as occasional rockabillies but, in truth, the eclectic mix also includes references to genres such as pop, country and reggae.
A ragged cover of Blondie's Call Me and a jokey Ska version of the country hit Jackson are signs that they prefer to keep listeners guessing.
The latter is one of two tracks to feature Marky “Sparky” Phillips from Welsh Psychobilly band Demented Are Go. Some mariachi horns courtesy of Calexico on Temptation also add a nice twangy touch to proceedings.
The band has previously recorded in San Diego, Camden and Tooting, but for this album they went back to the local Swiss studio where they made their early albums.
It was produced by the band's vocalist and bassist Oliver Baroni who says they wanted “to reflect the somewhat harder edge you get from the months on the road” and he maintains the result “is a louder, more rock’n’roll album”.
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Emanuela Hutter sings lead on around half the tracks on an album which takes as it broad theme the notion of “making friends with your demons”.
Film star and singer Arielle Dombasle has recorded an album of Hillbilly Moon covers but being big in France is by no means a ringing endorsement and since the songs lack a certain 'je ne sais quoi' none are truly memorable.
Still, while the 14-track record doesn't entirely succeed in being irresistibly indefinable, there's enough diversity to make this a lively and spirited album.
The Hillbilly Moon Explosion's website
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