Call The Dogs – The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs (Heavy Medication)
Their youthful days of diving across tables and sliding down the length of venue bars are probably behind them but they still matter: If The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs have made a bad record, well, you know the email address. The veteran LA outfit gets off the chain again on this four-song 10-incher, their first release since the stellar “One More Drink” album of 2021, and it hits the spot as well as any dive bar cocktail.
These days sax player Geoff Yeaton is firmly integrated into the line-up and adds an extra dimension to the Cheetahs’ trademark high-energy Detroit sound. The title tune is as good an example of that, featuring some stabbing guitarwork from lead vocalist Frank Meyer and Bruce Duff.
“Victim of The Service Industry” is a rambunctious tribute to hospitality sector servitude, its sound firmly anchored in the ‘60s and its lyrical content in the here and now. Take a tip of a different type and dive in. Dino Everett’s loping bass-line locks in with Mike Sessa’s driving beat with beefy harmony vocals and jagged guitars bolstering a rise-and-fall chorus. It’s the longest cut at just under five minutes but doesn’t waste a note.
Flip it over and “’80s Baby” screams out of the blocks like a stolen muscle car. “I’m an ‘80s baby with a ‘70s heart,” rages Frank Meyer and you better believe him. Duelling sax and guitars at five paces and see you at the other end of the firestorm.
“Long Haul” nods in the general direction of the Mop Tops’ “Day Tripper” to show off the Cheetahs’ pop smarts, and ultimately comes across as a bastard rock and soul child of Cheap Trick. You could have worse parentage.
It’s vinyl but there’s also a download purchase option. That’s a compelling prospect if you haven’t worked it out by now.
1/2
