Paperback Freud All in a Day’s Work
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
When Paperback Freud released Roller a few years ago, you knew they had a bit of The Rolling Stones and other blues-based rock bands in them, but they were also heavier than hell, and didn’t want to slow it down for the ladies, or anyone else. Their sophomore effort, All In a Day’s Work, sees the band embracing their inner-Aerosmith, creating music this is rife with groove, funk and the essence of Rock ‘n Roll. You won’t get anything as bombastic as “Straight Out of Hell” from their debut, but you’ll get better.
It seems like the band sat down and got wasted with George Thoroughgood when you hear the opening song, “Boogie Up.” Even Snake’s voice sounds a bit like George, which isn’t fair considering he is Swedish yet talks with no discernible accent. It’s all about the rhythm section of Yeti on bass and drummer Mike T. Snake even pulls off a ZZ Top type vocal at one point, letting you know whatever their influences, they are all good.
“High Speed Rock ‘n’ Roll” is probably the fastest track on All In a Day’s Work. “You win, a brand new coffin! You better hide my friend, call 911,” sings Snake, showing you their dark sense of humor. It gets more intense later, with lines like, “Oh happy campers until you fucking fail.” Vehemence aside, it features one of the most memorable choruses on the CD.
It’s always a reach when a band writes a song about itself, but, here Paperback Freud at least titles the song “Anthem.” If you are a fan of D.A.D., you are going to be doing drunken cartwheels when you hear this track. It really almost sounds like Steven Tyler singing a D.A.D. song. Where the other songs are all uptempo rippers, this one is more steady and mid-tempo, yet still bluesy. Yeti’s bass solo impresses as much as the guitar work of Savoy and Ricki. They leave you with these words of wisdom: “So have faith when your blood starts to boil, you’ve been freaudalized by the hound dogs of roll.”
The title tracks features Mike T. just wailing on a thumping beat while the rest of the band joins the party. “All in a Day’s Work” highlights Snake’s vocals, especially in comparison to their debut. He was a bit shout-y on the debut, but he learned how to really “sing” in no time. Now, whether crooning or reaching his upper range, he does it with conviction, power, and most importantly, talent.
Considering the band made some waves with their aforementioned awesome song “Straight Out of Hell,” it’s probably on purpose they penned “Straight Out of Moscow.” Moscow sounds like heaven more than hell, though, because the song is all about boozing and rutting all night long. The track features dualing solos, something the band excels at when they take that Classic Metal route. Again, the chorus of “Straight out of Moscow” does sound similar to “Straight Out of Hell.”
Somewhat surprisingly, the band ends the release with “Killers,” a 10-plus minute song. This track is one of the slowest on All in a Day’s Work, and instead of thumping you over the melon, it’s about creating an atmosphere and building up to something larger than expected. They even wax poetic on the line, “It’s the power enforced with a gun, oh it’s you, ah it’s you when you hold your tongue.” A sweeping critique of all that is wrong with mankind, “Killers” is a mature and philosophical composition.
Paperback Freud is one of those bands you just have to hear for yourself.
Label: Longfellow Deeds
Track listing:
1. Boogie Up
2. Hound Dog
3. High Speed Rock ‘N’ Roll
4. Anthem
5. My Frequency
6. All in a Day’s Work
7. Straight Out of Moscow
8. Bad
9. Killers
Online: On MySpace
HRH rating: 8.1/10