Album review: Electric Boys “The Ghost Ward Diaries”
The Swedish groove masters Electric Boys are all grown-up on fab new album.
Sweden’s Electric Boys burst onto the scene with their terrific Bob Rock-produced debut album “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride” in 1989. They made a reputation for themselves with the hit single “All Lips ‘N’ Hips” and plenty of touring. I loved the debut album and I went to see them in concert for the first time in 1989. I was very impressed with them already then. Twenty years later, in 2009, I saw Electric Boys’ vocalist and guitarist Conny Bloom and bassist Andy Christell when they toured Japan as members of Finnish glam rock band Hanoi Rocks. That was Hanoi Rocks’ farewell tour. A few years later, when Bloom and Christell had reformed Electric Boys’ original line-up with drummer Niclas Sigevall and guitarist Franco Santunione, they brought in their former Hanoi Rocks colleague Jolle Atlagic to share drum duties with Sigevall.
The grown-up 2018 version of Electric Boys sounds great. It is easy to recognise the band many of us grew to love in the late 80s, but it is also evident that they have matured and let some other influences help shape their songs. Vocalist and guitarist Conny Bloom is the main driver behind the songwriting and who leads the band from the front on stage, but he is part of a terrific band. The foundation of Electric Boys’ sound is still groovy rock with some funk influences, but this mature version of the band mixes it all up with blues rock, melodic hard rock, classic rock and much more. It is a bit like Hawkwind meets Atomic Swing meets Trapeze meets Tom Petty. It’s all good and it is often playful. It is intelligent rock with exquisite melodies performed by a splendid rock band.
The majestic “Love is a Funny Feeling” is an obvious favourite of mine with a great arrangement of a fabulous song. “You Spark My Heart” is a beautiful love song which goes from being ballad-like to sudden explosions of catchy rock. The first single “Hangover in Hannover” is a terrific rocker where classic Electric Boys meets Hanoi Rocks. The catchy track “First the Money, Then the Honey” also has terrific echoes of Hanoi Rocks while “Rich Man, Poor Man” is a fantastic blues rocker with plenty of soul. Old fans won’t be disappointed with this new Electric Boys album. The band also has a great chance to broaden its fanbase with this more mature sound.
Ladies and gentlemen, Electric Boys are back. It’s time to put your dance shoes on and let your hair down.
Electric Boys’ new album “The Ghost Ward Diaries” will be released on 23rd November via Mighty Music.
