Album Review: East Town Pirates “Ship of Fools”
From the opening notes of “Ship of Fools” it’s clear the East Town Pirates are back and they haven’t changed their M.O. Although, if you were wondering what the Pirates bring to our shores, look no further than “Voodoo Pirate Rock n Roll”. Written by former guitarist, Admiral Murder, deliberately in answer to describe the groups sound.
This is an album full of thigh slapping, rum soaked, self-penned sea shanties turned up to eleven. Which, if you’re already familiar with the rock n rollers, is exactly what we’d expect following 2013’s “Seven Seas of Sin”. Along with the earlier, self-titled release, both of which had previously made their mark here at Mr Teeth Reviews.
Living up to their name, East Town Pirates continue to write pirate influenced tunes. With “Takers Lane” being no different, albeit itself an adaptation of a poem by Henry E Wilkes. Vocally, frontman Rikki Rumoldew falls into the leading role perfectly, bellowing out the lyrics in his best pirate persona via the less assuming county of Suffolk.
Then there’s the likes of “Dead Man’s Cove” which is a song that by name alone, almost writes itself. After all, with “Ship of Fools” East Town Pirates are everything you’d expect from a band that have the sleazy punk-rock of Johnny Thunders mixed with the post-glam sounds of Dogs D’amour.
East Town Pirates Ship of Fools
In fact, this is a group of merry men that while taking 5 years between albums, have rarely strayed from what they’re good at. That is, however, until “I Hedonist” randomly ventures into a kind of ska/reggae number with a funky bassline from Shameless Seamus.
It’s then full steampunk ahead for “Fast Ride” and the East Town Pirates ode to Motorhead. It could be said, of course, that Lemmy was a pirate of sorts and one who certainly lived under his own rules. The song is deliberately and unashamedly an endless stream of Motorhead references, set to a backing track that could easily be mistaken for an “Ace of Spades” rip-off.
If the full on rock n roll doesn’t get your ship-a-rocking, then there’s the punk influences by the likes of the UK Subs. In fact “Higher Tide” has the Pirates giving a rare Charlie Harper acoustic number an electrified reworking, before it’s time to slap those thighs once more for the albums closer.
So, as the final riffs blast out your cabin, raise up your musical anchor and pour another tot of rum. It’s time to set sail, with the East Town Pirates taking us on another musical voyage upon their Ship of Fools.
East Town Pirates – “Ship of Fools” out now.
