Wrecked

The tale of Cali slop-rockers Reeks And The Wrecks is most bitersweet. Long a live fave on the West Coast, known for knocking crowds sideways with their off-the-cuff blend of vampiric, red light district jazz and experimental rock squall, the band had finally laid down the tracks for their debut CD release, Knife Hits. However, before the disc made its way to the shelves, front man/guitarist Orion Satushek was hit and killed by a drunk driver while bicycling in Portland, Oregon. Thankfully, Andee Connors from Aquarius Records, who runs the tUMULt label, has issued Knife Hits, so peeps can get a taste of this tragic band.

While it's hard to seperate the curcumstances surrounding the record's release from the music itself, on its own, Knife Hits is a wild thrill ride through a world of noirish guitar lines and swaggering, booze-soaked horns. The band plows through each song, casting off sick carnival melodies and self-destructive slobber. Songs explode with sludgy basslines and choppy guitar licks that frame horns which careen and curve with indefatigable glee. Then, on a dime, the band veers into extended slow-motion workouts that push classic Californaian surf elements towards the darkest corners of the dancefloor. The result is an intensely emotional record that plays like the soundtrack to a James Bond flick where no one gets the girl and the villain always win.