Review: Electric Black Horse – Cheap Party Favors
Frontman Michael Pate has a bit of a Jagger-swagger in his voice, and there’s just something in
With seven tracks that shine and rumble with a whole lot of glam-rocking, hard-rocking, and even punk-rocking power, “Cheap Party Favors” is an album that pleases and entertains from start to finish. New York-based Electric Black Horse has a loose, rambling rock’n’roll sound that makes me want to shake my hips and my hair, and that makes me think of golden-age KISS, and also (maybe surprisingly) The Rolling Stones. Frontman Michael Pate has a bit of a Jagger-swagger in his voice, and there’s just something in that rollicking guitar-work that has a real Stones-vibe.
The album kicks off in high style with the raunchy, very KISS-flavored hard-rocker “Stone Foxx” – an irresistible track that is just the kind of NSFW-tune (with a sense of humor) that’ll get any party started. “Champagne On Ice” keeps the party rolling at full speed ahead, and two tracks into the album the band’s description of their music as “sexy rock’n’roll” fits them to a T.
Things get a pop-sleaze hook on the singularly catchy “Boys And Girls”, adding a bit of a punk rock twist (glam-rock-punk, perhaps…? works for me…); while “Birthday Bitch” brings a sharper edge, with a stingingly wicked sense of humor.
The title track “Cheap Party Favors” is a sharp stab in the ribs at celebrity worship and whining Hollywood-posers, with lyrics like “bitch and complain about your privacy / show biz is prostitution can’t you see”, “out of touch with reality at the Church of Scientology it’s cosmic bullshit for a chain of fools”, “just make me pretty —- and I promise not to run so fast”.
“Uptown Saturday Night” is a hard-rocking tale of a crazy night out on the town, and has a terrific chorus that seems tailor-made for a sing-along when played live.
Electric Black Horse winds up the album with the turbo-charged fabulousness of “Koke Rock”, a heavy rumbling and rolling rocker that comes at you with everything in the band’s arsenal: fully-loaded guitars, a rhythm section that’ll put some groove in your moves, and Pate’s voice all strut and attitude. Sexy rock and roll, indeed.
My first exposure to Electric Black Horse was a couple of years ago when I stumbled across the shimmery hot space-rocker “Capricorn Girl” on YouTube: they hooked me right away with those feathers, that heavy hitting sound, Pate’s swaggering vocals, and a video that was just so much fun. They’ve still got all of that, it’s just amped up even more on this album.
My verdict: If you need a quick, hard, hot and tasty fix of good-time rock’n’roll, get yourself some “Cheap Party Favors”. It’s an excellent addition to anyone’s party-rocking soundtrack, and if you’re anything like me it will put a big smile on your face.
Get a taste of the band here on the video for “Boys And Girls” – it is NSFW, but definitely a party-track.
Electric Black Horse: Facebook / Website / Twitter
Lineup:
- Michael Pate: vocals, guitar
- Merx: lead guitar
- JT Hardy: bass
- Shane Considine: drums
Track-list:
- Stone Foxx
- Champagne On Ice
- Boys And Girls
- Birthday Bitch
- Cheap Party Favors
- Uptown Saturday Night
- Koke Rock