Jim Bob - Thanks For Reaching Out

Kaum zu glauben, dass es schon 30 Jahre her sein soll, dass uns Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine im Jahresrhythmus vier tolle Alben präsentierten. Nun versucht Jim Bob (ohne Fruitbat) diesen Lauf zu wiederholen, auch wenn die Chancen noch einmal Platz 1 der britischen Album Charts zu erreichen („1992 - The Love Album“) gegen Null tendieren. 

2020 überraschte er uns mit „Pop Up Jim Bob“ und erreichte prompt Platz 26 im Vereinigten Königreich sowie Rang 10 bei Platten vor Gericht, im folgenden Jahr schloss sich „Who Do We Hate Today“ an (UK Platz 34 und PVG Platz 54). 2022 wurde mit der Compilation „The Essential Jim Bob“ überbrückt, und jetzt legt er nach und wiederholt sein Erfolgsrezept: Cherry Red Records bietet „Thanks For Reaching Out“ als CD (incl. ’This is My Mixtape’, a collection of cover versions recorded especially for the album), Kassette und LP (pressed in solid purple in a gatefold sleeve with a 2024 calendar) mit unterschiedlichen Covern des Künstlers Mark Reynolds an.

Jim Bob präsentiert sich in den 12 Songs textlich gewohnt kritisch-humorvoll-sarkastisch, wenn er sich mit Putin („The Day of Reckoning“), Bezos/Branson („Billionaire in Space“) oder den Taliban auseinandersetzt („This is End Times“), und musikalisch erneut in Carter USM-Form („We Need To Try Harder (We Need To Do Better)“), mit Glam Rock-Ausflügen („goesaroundcomesaround“), als 110-sekündigen Punkrock-Ausbruch („Toxic Man“) oder als Rockabilly („Sebastian’s Gone On A Ridealong“). 

 

Mit Platz 96 in den UK Album Charts konnte der Erfolg nicht ganz wiederholt werden (vermutlich haben zu wenige das Video oben gesehen) - und bei Platten vor Gericht? 

 

The album kicks off with its title track, previously released as a single, which offers a feeling of hope and romance in an “effed up world”. With its Jam/Strange Town vibe and Terry Edwards (Madness, Higsons, Gallon Drunk, Holy Holy) on saxophone and trumpet, it’s a great opener and declares, “This is my Long and Winding Road, my God Only Knows, my Up the Junction, typed up on a bus and sent from my iPhone”.

The other single from the album, the jaunty Sebastian’s Gone on a Ridealong, caused some controversy on social media with its depiction of Jacob Rees Mogg. It’s a fun track and the lyrics were ‘inspired’ by Boris Johnson’s (now hopefully redundant) habit of riding around with the emergency services in order to get a photo opportunity. (…)

The album’s last full track Prince of Wales is a melancholy pub ballad and features the great lyric, “Crying over spilt milk isn’t worth it. You only end up with spilt salty milk.”. The lyrics retain enough puns to annoy former NME and Melody Maker journalists, something that can only be a good thing.

(We Are Cult)

 

From humble beginnings, opening (and title) track ‘Thanks For Reaching Out’ soon bursts into life like blossom in spring, and with a muscular riff, elbows its way straight to your memory bank. It’s the musical equivalent of Bonfire Night with flames licking the sky and rockets exploding overhead, and such is its all-encompassing effervescence that you wonder how anything could follow. A punky blast is how, angular and spiky guitars are married to call-to-arms vocals (always a good combination) and the resultant sound sweeps the listener along on upon a boisterous beat powered by razor-sharp riffs and a Mick Jones wail. Yet, Jim Bob knows when to apply the brakes, and the change of pace during ‘Sebastian’s Gone On A Ridealong’ is fairly arresting, and finds fun suddenly turning into disaster (as it so often does).

(The Midlands Rocks)

 

Like Baxter Dury, Mr Morrison has his own formula he’s been using over the last three albums and it works a treat. He knows how to pen an song and he nails the sound to his lyrics every time in his own inimitable way. Opener, Thanks For Reaching Out is a joy to listen to from the opening vocals to the fanfares of trumpets and backing chorus shouts. A love song with a heart. The Day Of Reckoning is a glam punk dark stomper on the subject of God keeping an audit on Putin. “They’ll be spreadsheets of your crimes, dating back to the first time, death and murder crossed your mind and made you smile” I take it he won’t be visiting Russia any time soon then…

Bernadette (Hasn’t Found Anyone Yet) harks back to Blur’s Modern Life Is Rubbish era and has a 70’s Kinks vibe flowing throughout. (…)

Jim Bob has done good with his band of Hoodrats complimenting his vocals  with an array of quality musicians. A cracking end to a great trilogy of artwork by Mark Reynolds, clever lyricism and infectious tunes that will keep you entertained throughout the summer. There’s life in the old sex machine yet!

(Louder Than War)