It's probably inevitable after The Libertines' messy implosion that the 'hip' press should be courting the more earnest, clean-living likes of Bloc Party and (gawdelpus) trumpeting the imminent return of Coldplay. But, whatever happens, it seems certain corners of the rock'n'roll world will be forever scuzzbound and dirty.
After all, in a world prepared to tolerate the laughable antics of big-haired dickheads like Towers Of London, why shouldn't there also be room for a band like Yankee Nine Niner? A band who - on the strength of these two tracks - are here primarily to put the RAWK back into rock'n'roll. And there ain't nothin' we can do about it, brother.
Despite the name, the band (a quintet with female guitarist Camilla Jurasek, possibly on board to prevent the Led Zep-isms) are actually British and have apparently been ripping up showcase gigs left, right and centre over the past six months. In singer Henry Rundell, they surely have a star in the making, and - on the strength of these two tracks - could quite possibly do well on a larger scale.
Your reviewer should state right here that this isn't really the kind of thing he'd go for head over heels, but personal feelings aside, Yankee Nine Niner do this old skool hard rock thing pretty well. Opening tune "Oh Yeah" (really) is entirely in-your-face, chorus-heavy, kick-ass twin cam RAWK scrawled in big, bright, neon-lit capital latters. It's brash, brimming over with braggadocio and a good showcase for Rundell's gritty, gravelly voice. He's hardly Mark Lanegan, but certainly a contender in the Rod Stewart/ Kelly Jones stakes.
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Second track "Giving Up" is a shade more interesting. It's slower, funkier and even vaguely Stones-y in a "Beast Of Burden" sort of way. YNN play well, fashion hip-shakin' grooves and also have a secret weapon in the shape of drummer Tom Farrelly who gives his kit a sound (Keith) Mooning when he gets the opportunity on tunes of this nature.
In many ways, Yankee Nine Niner are an anachronism as their stomping, flag-waving rock'n'roll is very much the kind of thing that (prior to the advent of the friggin' Darkness) hasn't been embraced by the press since "Sounds" in the early 1980s. Since the arrival of Justin Hawkins and co, though, we seem duty-bound to take bands like this seriously again. In itself, that's something this writer will continue to rebel against, but while he doubts he could ever really love Yankee Nine Niner, he'd gladly have them over the bloody Darkness any day of the week.
(www.yankeenineniner.co.uk)
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