Review: Los Straitjackets ‘Somos Los Straitjackets’

Review: Los Straitjackets ‘Somos Los Straitjackets’

By Hal Horowitz

If there was ever a golden age of hit instrumentals—songs that ranged from surf to jazz, soul and rock and roll—it is long gone.

But once upon a time commercial radio not only played the occasional vocal-free oddity like The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out,” Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein,” or The Champs’ “Tequila” (Pee Wee Herman, holla!), let alone Link Wray’s iconic, and even censored, “Rumble,” but they tickled the higher rungs of the charts. Rhino even released a five-disc series entitled ‘Instrumental Classics’ in 1994, paying respect to the genre.

Now we’re ready, once again, to hail Nashville’s Los Straitjackets. The four-piece of two guitars, drums and bass have been celebrating their unique “singers, who needs ‘em?” approach with nearly 20 albums, dating back to 1995s self-deprecating and humorously titled debut ‘The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets.’ Fans know that distinctive voices have been added occasionally to a handful of discs (Deke Dickerson and Big Sandy are a few), and as Nick Lowe’s backing band, they are well-versed in working behind an excellent singer.

Still, it has been 13 years since the colorful Mexican wrestling masked quartet released a full album of original wordless compositions making ‘Somos Los Straitjackets,’ out Sept. 19, a long-awaited comeback, especially for their dedicated followers.

There are few surprises, which is a good thing. No one wants these guys to dabble in hip-hop, EDM or metal. Instead you get 15 keepers crammed into under 40 minutes, only one of which breaks three minutes and a few don’t even make it to two.

From the tribal drums that pound through “Numbskull,” to the reverbed surf of “Bumper Car,” the ringing, mid-tempo rock (with vibes!) of “Two Steps Ahead,” and the riff-heavy garage-inflected “Cry for a Beatle” (a nod to “Cry for a Shadow,” the Fab Four’s lone instrumental), Los Straitjackets revel in their archetypal twang-heavy instincts.
They have never taken themselves too seriously. That’s reflected in the “Wipe Out” tribute, titled “Spinout,” which includes some of the initial tune’s endearing and somewhat deranged laughter. Its energy ramps to 11, creating one of the set’s many highlights. A soundtrack approach on “Virgon” shows the band getting serious for a few minutes, crafting a piece that notably grabs the “Wild Thing” hook for a few bars, perfect for a future movie.

Country has been on the borders of the Straitjackets’ music which makes “Genesee River Rock,” (referencing Johnny and the Hurricane’s “Red River Rock”), an homage to guitarist Greg Townson’s Rochester, N.Y. hometown, a logical side road.
But it’s not all rip-snorting hijinks. The Straitjackets relax on the Latin influenced ballad “Catalina Farewell” which sounds like a Henry Mancini leftover. And “Sentimental Fool” takes us back to a 60s sock hop slow dance, even with its stripper-pole drum opening. We head down to the swamps for “Bad Apple,” which could be an undiscovered Creedence outtake, then go pop on the ringing “April Showers,” a perky example of something that might have been a single back in the days when radio was open to more variety.

The songs are diverse yet constructed with a retro mindset that never feels studied or stale. Additionally, it’s clear that the foursome is comprised of wildly talented members not only as players, but arrangers, keeping the tunes tight whether they are frothy, rollicking or romantic.

High-five to longtime producer Jake Guralnick who helps behind the board making ‘Somos Los Straitjackets’ another “utterly fantastic and unbelievable” entry in the band’s bulging and ever-exciting catalog.

“Hire Wire Act”