GALLON DRUNK In The Long Still Night (City Slang)

Once upon a time Gallon Drunk’s stock in trade was a bizarre meltdown of mambo and punk - think Dr John, The Night Tripper fronting Rocket From The Crypt, if you dare - the sort of fusion that, documented in albums such as "You, The Night...And The Music" and "Tonight - The Singles Bar", probably made for a thrilling night out but didn’t really cut it in the armchair listening stakes. Now, with their third long player, GD have somehow acquired a degree of clarity (‘sheen’ would be too strong a word for it, though) in their production that confirms that James Johnston does indeed sing, rather than gargle, and that he’s capable of constructing actual tunes, rather than orchestrated demolition derbies. From the visceral kick of the single "Two Clear Eyes" to the majestically deranged waltz of the title track, via such unlikely calls as a Bee Gees cover, "In The Long Still Night" is the ultimate expression and vindication of the Drunk’s single-minded approach to music making, and for that we should salute them.