22-20s 05-03
by Charlie Padgett, DJ @ Richmond's Y101
December 8, 2002 + Richmond, VA
Pluggin' away
 With a major-label battle breaking out over any band with:
- an unusual number of members (see "White Stripes", "Polyphonic Spree")
- greasy hair (see "White Stripes", "Kings of Leon") and / or
- ambiguously attached singers and drummers (see "White Stripes" and, uh, "White Stripes")
the 22-20s were primed to be courted by industry-types when they first hit stages in the UK. Having the greasy hair thing in common, the 22-20s have toured Europe with Jet and Kings of Leon and were subjected to the aforementioned label groping in Britain earlier this year. The first product of that molestation is 05/03, out now on Astralwerks, who I guess have given up on the techno revolution and have moved on to garage rock ("Whoa, that bandwagon's moving pretty fast! Jump!").
Clapton, Bowie and Billy Idol in one paragraph!
As opposed to the rest of the Strokes / White Stripes response signings (see "Jet", "Kings of Leon"), the 22-20s actually have something to hang their hat on: white man blues. The blues that Eric Clapton brought to British music in the late 60s and 70s, Bowie twisted into one-blue-eyed soul in the 80s, Gomez kept alive through the 90s, and the Black Keys have brought into the 21st century, the 22-20s pick up and throw in your face with Billy Idols whiplash smile.
6 Song Reviews, One F-Bomb and a Jam Alert
The 6 song E.P. lifts off with "Devil In Me". An exhausting bass line, rock-hard drums and lyrics lifted from Robert Johnson's diaries propel this song through its four minutes and thirteen seconds in what seems like a minute forty-five. This is a song to put on a tape for an ex-girlfriend who you want to convince that you've turned evil and hard since you've broken up.
Track 2, "I'm The One", opens with an almost R.E.M.-esque guitar line, which melds into a thumping rhythm section line that initially doesn't seem right. Then the lyrics come in, and it all comes together nicely. It wouldn't be the blues without singing about murder. The 22-20s oblige with two minutes to spare.
"Messed Up" is a pretty standard ode to a fucked-up relationship with a nice little bass/organ/guitar breakdown about halfway through, which, mercifully, doesn't devolve into an extensive jam session, but may on their U.S. tour. You've been warned.
Track 4 opens with Spiritualized bombast, just without the 40 member choir, symphony orchestra and J. Spaceman. "Such A Fool" is positioned perfectly about halfway through the CD. It's definitely the weakest of the 6 tracks, but is by no means bad. It just sounds unfinished.
"22 Days" is another apology song. I don't know what lead singer Martin Trimble did to whom, but it must've been pretty awful. "…22 nights, 22 days, with you in my head…Trying to erase, Everything that you said…". This song faintly reminds me of Sin-e era Jeff Buckley. I can't figure out if it's the guitars, the phrasing, the lyrics themselves, or the whole package. Whatever it is, it works.
Which brings us to the closing track, "King Bee". Flying their blues flag high, the 22-20s go balls out covering a song by legendary bluesman Muddy Waters. Five minutes and twelve seconds of straight-forward blues-rock that you could probably hear coming out of any dive bar in Mississippi, the 22-20s take what could be a languid, bluesy jam and pound you over the head with it. Repeatedly.
By the way, that one or two seconds of clapping and hollering you hear in between songs? That's an audience. The E.P. was recorded live. Hopefully, the studio doesn't sanitize the 22-20s Brit-blues sound.
In Summation (A Serious Header?)
All in all, a solid first release from the 22-20s. If we are nearing the apex of the garage-band signings, the 22-20s are a welcome, late addition to the party.
On the web: Charlie's web site
Also on the web: Listen to Charlie weekday mornings on Richmond's Y101
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