by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
One of the coolest bands you unfortunately didn’t give enough attention to was Teenage Casket Company. The Brits brought the poppiest, most melodic and high-energy music to the world that housed itself somewhere between Pop Punk and Hair Metal. (But the good Hair Metal, not the shrieky, screechy crap.) Although not an “official” member of the band, Dave Kerr was a touring guitarist and if there’s one thing Teenage Casket Company was known for was the vocals. EVERYONE in the band could sing. Everyone … including Dave Kerr. The bassist Rob Lane has toured with Bulletboys and he’s currently in the up and coming Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors; lead singer Rob Wylde is a brilliant songwriter and rocker who fronts Midnite City (a band you NEED to hear); and wouldn’t you know it, Dave Kerr found his own voice as a frontman, guitarist and songwriter with his new release Being Drunk Looks Good On You.
The album kicks off with “The Devil Wears Perfume,” and it’s a fun, funky and somewhat kinky composition. It’s always a bit weird hearing this kind of music from an English composer, but hey … he obviously knows what he’s doing. It’s groovy, pulls the plow and if you listen to it around women … they are going to get their groove on too. It’s a sexy as hell song.
“The Call” is a duet with Aimee Heliose, and it’s a poignant, haunting love song. The duo accompany each other with noticeable honesty, and the harmonies are thick as loss.
Kerr shines a little brighter when he’s upbeat, though, on songs like “Don’t You Know Who We Think We Are.” It’s pretty hilarious, a song about cocksure dudes who still live their mom, love Motley Crue, but have a song on the radio so … how bad could it be? (We had 20 listeners last night!) It is the closest song to Teenage Casket Company on the release and it’s awesome.
Vocally, “Instant Song” is one of the strongest. There’s a bluesy, Country vibe Kerr conveys, and you could hear this song being a hit on Modern Country radio in the ‘Merica.
“Time Don’t Count” and “Time Is Ours” flow back to back and again, Kerr has found his voice and his genre. You can tell he could wake up and play this music within a minute or two of opening his eyes. It sounds unforced and more natural than most songs you’ll hear today. Kerr just doesn’t sound manufactured; everything is authentic.
Being Drunk Looks Good On You is just a hell of a lot of fun. It’s summer, and this is the kind of music you want to roll the down the window of your 20+ year old rusty truck, hide the beer between your legs from the cops and let the wind blow your hair around … if you still have any, of course. Either way, Kerr has strayed from Teenage Casket Company but that doesn’t mean the quality has changed–as stated, all the dudes in the band were uber-talented, and Kerr proves it once again here.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country, Rockabilly
Band:
Dave Kerr – everything
Aimee Heliose – guest vocals “The Call”
Tracklisting:
1.The Devil Wears Perfume
2.Best Of Me
3.Breathe
4.The Call (feat. Aimee Heloise)
5.Finest Yet
6.Don’t You Know Who We Think We Are
7.Time Don’t Count
8.You’ll See Everything
9.Time Is Ours
10.Photograph In Sunlight
11.Instant Song
12.Never Expected This
13.Party 2Nite
14.#80
Label: Independent
Online:
https://davekerrmusic.bandcamp.com/album/being-drunk-looks-good-on-you
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.9 / 10)