Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds
That Delicious Vice
(In The Red Records)
The Kid and his ensemble return with their first new album in 8 years, after a break taken up writing and publicising Some New Kind of Kick, his entertaining autobiography.
With a pedigree like Kid Congo has, guitarist in The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and as leader of his own band for nigh on 20 years now, he's been in the game for a long time. However the first 5 tracks on That Delicious Vice move along at a fair old lick pushed there by frantic rhythms and manic slide guitar. Congo isn't blessed with the greatest singing voice but his drawling style suits the up tempo tunes perfectly...
Then comes side two...5 much slower, slinkier, dare I say sleazy, maybe more what you'd expect with the Kid's history. It all starts with Kid displaying his Mexican American roots with Ese Vicio Delicioso which sounds like a bossa nova version of La Bamba with fuzz guitars and, daft as it sounds, is one of the albums highlights. Two of the remaining four tracks are lilting late night tracks two of which Kid whispers tales of early hours escapades with the track in the middle being a short instrumental homage to Las Vegas.
Which leads me to the final track, Murder of Sunrise, a 17 minute 44 second monster of a thing. Another instrumental, the albums third, but mostly a drone, feedback, and great twangy bass, no drums, with Kid's distinctive voice very occasionally heard in the distance. Initially I thought it was just filler but I now love it. It sounds like the soundtrack to a Spaghetti Vampire movie if such a thing exists.
I'd say this album is a triumph. It covers all bases beautifully and I can't wait to catch the Kid and his cohorts next time he's in town.It should be some party!
