Quireboys – Beautiful Curse

Ever since this band surfaced in the mid to late 80s, their mission statement has been elegantly simple; raw, good time rock n’ roll without any frills. Beautiful Curse, their first new studio album of new material since 2008’s ‘Homewreckers And Heartbreakers,’ is an unapologetic stride in the same direction. Like your favourite bottle of bourbon, the good things should never change, that familiar taste is what you crave.

23 years since their formation in London, time has been more than kind to them and this is no more apparent in frontman Spike’s whiskey stained, rasping vocals. They are just perfect for the bluesy rock sound that they produce, adding a distinct element of sleaze, swagger and sex appeal to the music. Their song writing, while it has always been of a top standard, now has a more mature, calculated approach. Hooks are aplenty and are perfectly timed to keep the songs interesting and infectious.

Too Much Of A Good Thing opens the album a-la AC/DC with flaunting drums and raked chords before stomping into a full on groove. It has a typically straightforward and memorable chorus, the kind of which made them Top Of The Pops favourites all those years ago. King of Fools for instance, which has a pomp and strut about it reminiscent of The Faces in their heyday, has you singing along by the second and third choruses. Strutting still, but drawing influence from the Rolling Stones, Diamonds and Dirty Stones is an equally as strong track, complete with a masterstroke chorus. Elsewhere, Chain Smokin’ is an aptly smokey blues number and For Crying Out Loud is unmistakably Quireboys.

The problem then, was capturing their astonishingly relentless live act on record. A number of tracks on this record have been part of the band’s live set for a few months now including ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’ and ‘Mother Mary.’ Unfortunately, having first heard them as live tracks, the studio versions don’t quite stand on the same footing. The guitars and the overall musical punch delivered on stage are just not quite as apparent, which is a real shame as they are amazing songs. That is not to say that they aren’t worth listening to on record however, they well and truly are. The stage is merely the rightful home of these tracks.

There are many bands out there that rock, but forget about the roll, leaving it lonely and neglected. The Quireboys are a band carrying the torch for the thrilling marriage that is rock and roll. The songs are nothing astounding in terms of musical complexity, but that is what is charming about it. All the excess fat has been cut off, leaving a lean, mean, strutting sex-machine of a record.

The Quireboys are:

Spike – vocals
Guy Griffin – guitar
Paul Guerin – guitar
Keith Weir – keyboards
Dave Boyce – bass
Matt Goom – drums

01. Too Much Of A Good Thing
02. Chain Smokin’
03. Talk Of The Town
04. Mother Mary
05. King Of Fools
06. Homewreckers And Heartbreakers
07. Diamonds and Dirty Stones
08. Beautiful Curse
09. Don’t Fight It
10. For Crying Out Loud
11. Twenty Seven Years
12. I Died Laughing