OJM (The Light Album) CD
The latest release of this Italian group, entitled "Heavy" was nothing special for me. OJM played some sort of solid, but mediocre heavy fuzz rock with three or four outstanding cuts to find on the album, but at least not enough to feel convinced by. Now they have signed with the new hopeful label Go Down Records, and I was very skeptical, when I put this promo in my player, but after the first chords of the opener "Break it All" it's hard to believe that this is the same gang who had recorded "Heavy". Mixing straight-forward US garage rock and 60's R'n'B-based energy (mostly the British style), OJM rip through some energetic smashers such as the opener, "My Enemy" or "I'm Damn" all of which contain enough powerful hooks to become some real hits.
For me, it's pretty much every great thing about 60's garage rock rolled into one album. And of course, sometimes a mouth harp gives some tracks the right bluesy shape. Not a lot of bands can jump all over the landscape like this and still make it all work just right. At times this even goes far enough to bring to mind the Sonics, and with the last cut "Desert" OJM are in best Cramps territory. This stuff never goes out of style, falls out of grace, or sounds tired, so what are you waiting for? Absolutely blistering!
(KK)