Nick Curran and the Lowlifes – Reform School Girl

Eclecto Groove – ERG CD 509

Nick Curran hails from leafy Maine, but is now part of the Austin music counter-culture. He could be summed up as punk Americana, with a strong eye towards the exaggerated 1950s mores of psycho-billy.

Curran has a rocket fuelled vocal attack, exacerbated by varying levels of vintage microphone distortion, and a set of proficient fifties guitar chops approaching Brian Setzer standards. The full band, including sax section, crashes along with him through the gamut of influences, from Little Richard and Jerry Lee to Phil Spector and the Ramones. There’s a fair wallop of early sixties garage rock thrown in too.

The songs on “Reform School Girl” come thick and fast, most under three minutes, some under two. The title track invokes the Shangri-Las, even to the extent of screeching cars, and the following track, “Kill My Baby”, has one of the more interesting soundscapes, akin to mid era Tom Waits, replete with Mingus horns.

“Dream Girl” briefly slows the pace with its melodramatic, tremulous chords and Nick is joined by fellow rocker Phil Alvin of the Blasters on "Flyin’ Blind” to good effect. Etta James’ “Tough Lover” gets a breakneck airing and there’s even room for AC/DC’s “Rocker”, played fifties style. The sixties surf pop madness of “Psycho” also raises a smile, as does much of this nitrous record.

Nick Curran and the Lowlifes give you their all, so if you’ve got some energy to expend, jump along with them. If not, sit back and let them do all the jumping – they may just do enough to leave you out of breath anyway.