Reviewed by Mr Teeth for www.7bitarcade.com
There’s something very Ramones like about the backstory to the Coathangers, the fact they couldn’t play any instruments didn’t put them off forming a band back in 2006 and just like Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy, the unrelated Coathangers all shared the same surname – albeit in a more comedy fashion (Minnie Coathanger, Rusty Coathanger, Bebe Coathanger and the most imagination Crook Kid Coathanger).
This isn’t the only similarity though as having lost keyboard player Bebe Coathanger along the way, presumably down the back of the wardrobe, the bands fourth album “Suck my Shirt” has more of a focus on their garage punk roots in tracks such as instantly catchy “Springfield Cannonball”.
With the album title stemming from a night recovering tequila from items of clothing during the recording sessions, it’s all very rock n roll and there’s no let-up in high energy tunes such as “Dead Battery” along with “Derek’s Song” and the straight to the point “Shut up” being among those that are fast and furious, coming in at under the three minute mark.
Things slow down a little during “Merry Go Round” and “Adderall” with the vocals creeping along in a Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees fashion, making “Suck my Shirt” a two sided affair which one minute is raw and punchy but the next more drawn out and slightly new wave and goth-like.
The thing is the Coathangers label, Suicide Squeeze Records, have a passion for the 7” single having releases by a range of artists such as Elliot Smith, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine and Black Mountain, but with “Suck my Shirt” you could pick and choose which two tracks to give the vinyl treatment making this album something special, whilst keeping true to the Coathangers ethos of making an album that’s a snapshot of who they are at that moment in time… and at this point in time, they’re something pretty damn good.
