THREE BAD JACKS

Three Bad Jacks, Los Angeles' rising rockabilly trio, released their debut cd this spring to rave reviews on their blistering live shows. Many times with a new artist on an indie label, the debut cd does not match the energy of the live show, but Three Bad Jacks has successfully captured their rousing live performance and commitment to the music roots of rockabilly. Many current bands who take their cues from American roots music can rapidly descend into clichés that take away from any original song writing and musical construction, luckily for Three Bad Jacks, this cd slides around and successfully navigates the shoals of rockabilly clichés. Yes, the singer's name is Elvis (Elvis Suissa, that is), yes he does sing about hot rods, rumbles, and kittens, but it is done with a twist. Mr. Suissa is kind enough to make "Oooh, Love Hurts" be about a kitten with a whip rather than a mere heartbreak song. "Oooh, Love Hurts" has a marvelously nasty striptease of the bass and guitar as Suissa grinds out the chorus punch line. Suissa makes one wonder if "Women think I am Handsome" is purely tongue in cheek or is he referencing his own good looks or the Elvis moniker legacy all the while the song lures the listener in. The true pleasure of the Three Bad Jack's CD is the instrumentation and construction of the songs. The band uses the upright bass to its full deep, acoustic toned effect in contrast to the clear rockabilly and surf riffs of Suissa's guitar. John Palmer does more than just keep a steady beat on the drums as he weaves the the drum beats in between the bass and guitar. The band explores not only rockabilly, but also traverses into surf guitar, a nod to south of the border in "Pretty Senorita", and even a bit of modern psychobilly guitar work, giving the CD a contrast of musical textures. Whether one has already been introduced to the delights of the current crop of rockabilly stylists or not, one will not go wrong with Three Bad Jack's debut CD, especially if played loud in the car with the windows down. Don't forget to drive fast... -Jenifer Hanen-Instant magazine