Silver & Dust by Eamonn Dowd & The Racketeers

com/theracketeersireland

Review from AMERICANA UK

Eamonn Dowd and the Racketeers “Silver and Dust” (Cannery Row 2006)

Irish band on German label make convincing Americana

In this post Libertines world where it seems that any raggle-taggle band with half-formed ideas and unfinished songs are catapulted onto the front line, have records in the charts before they coalesce and rarely mature in the hothouse atmosphere (I sound so old) it is nice to know that there are bands like this that are in it for the long run and who change and evolve - they grow. This Irish band releases their fourth record on which the ideas are fully formed, fully realised and importantly contain more than just the germ of an idea. Dowd and the band move from cantankerous country blues redolent of his namesake Johnny, smooth country rockers - the satisfying ‘Don’t Let Me Fail’ which is Cash like in its warm redemptive tone – and raucous rock. Not one to be afraid of noise turning the amps up or stomping on the effects pedals or even sounding a bit like REM crossed with Green on Red on ‘She Said’ or to be generic as they are on the Satanist country song ‘Straight Down the Line’ - nice twist that. Songs like ‘Evil’ are a kind of crushed velvet gothic country. There is edginess to the sparky guitars and something almost debauched about the louche vocal. I like the personality and experience in his voice it makes him an engaging and believable narrator and I’m happy to spend time in his company.

Date review added: Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Reviewer: David Cowling

Reviewers Rating:

Thursday, September 21, 2006

REVIEW – THE RACKETEERS album launch

the racketeers album launch last saturday went off with a bang. jj smyths is usually a haunt of jazz and blues aficionados. not tonight. tonight there is an almost uncomfortably full crowd of fans, friends and 'faces' from around dublin. as the cramped bar fills up, eamonn is in loud conversation with donal lunny, shouting at each other over the excessively loud music, the new racketeers album 'silver & dust' which is welcoming people over the p.a. the guest list looks like it's got the entire capacity of the venue written on it. there's a definite air of excitement about this new album, the best he's done to date. paul thomas, producer par excellence (virgin prunes, u2, thin lizzy) has done an admirable job on this, his second racketeers album. he's frantically running back and fourth with the same boxes of albums under his arms. it's anyone's guess why, but i don't think they've noticed.

sometime after 11.30pm the racketeers take to the stage. the only thing that's missing from making this the perfect atmosphere is a thick, hanging cloud of cigarette smoke. the haunting tremolo of 'evil' pierces through the manic babble of conversation. anyone who's attention wasn't already focused is now under the spell. the set is mainly made up from the new album and is padded out with songs from the previous three. a couple of old ones follow, including the emotive 'apology not accepted' from album no.1, leaving a lump in everyones throat. and then eamonn bangs into another newy, the stonking 'time is tight'.

'woke up monday morning' marks the halfway point (just before 'the slow set') with that fabulously long and ear shattering solo that you never want to end. darah mccarthy (ex-babysnakes and paranoid visions) is ecstatic. he's drunkenly ranting about how happy he is to see eamonn with a band that 'isn't made up of bloody session musicians'. he thinks this is the best line up, best gig and best album he's seen from eamonn and his small gang of cohorts.

it's time for the rhythm section to take a break while eamonn does a couple more new songs, solo. chris teusner joins in on tom's as accompaniment to eamonn's jack-hammer metronome (foot) hammering out the beat to 'roll the dice'

the band blaze the rest of their way through a storming set, eamonns solos drilling through ear drum and grey matter, reminiscent of johnny thunders, except in tune. his banter between songs is amusing and entertaining as usual. he's having a good time tonight. 'you make three old men very happy'. chris and leslie keyes (the new bass player) tell him he's the only old man on the stage. they're right.

the bar light's flash on and off during 'rambling jack' which is the sad and sorry signal that, not only is there soon to be no more booze, but that this trail blaze is about to end. the racketeers end the set with another kick to the head. 'the racketeers lament' is the first song on the first album and is played live with a little more vigor and volume than what you'd expect.

and then it's over.

the drunk and the deaf happily wander out into the torrents of rain to find more alcohol to aid the whining ache in their heads. it's a pity all gigs aren't as exciting as this. mind you, if they were then nights like this wouldn't really be exciting, would they?

the master switch

AMERICANA UK described The Racketeers as follows...

" They combine country and rock 'n' roll in just the right proportions. Nothing sounds staged or contrived......many magic moments."

HOT PRESS (Ireland) recently had this to say

"A damn fine example of gravel-voiced country rock.....these songs are full of unaffected, unrefined humanity. A kind of world weary warts 'n' all honesty that's getting rarer in music....there is something raw and real about the Racketeers that's easy to love."

FRIDHAMMER in Sweden said..........

"Dowd's vocals have an indecently gritty quality - he sounds like he's lived the lifestyle he portrays so well ….. and it bodes extremely well for the future."

Average Customer Review: