ALBUM REVIEW – The Dry Retch – Pyongsang Kaengsaeng!
Liverpool’s The Dry Retch are like a smear on the music landscape, like anti-theft paint that’s been ingrained into your skin. Fronted by the detestable John Retch; an escapee from an Aussie penal colony and wanted for felonies in several countries, he sought asylum in the Republic Of Chippy Tits.
Pyongsang Kaengsaeng! marks an increase in criminal activities in the past couple of years after a pretty lean period for recorded output since their 2002 inception. My initial thought on first listen was, ‘It’s OK, three well worn gnarly chords firmly embedded in pre-punk New York 1970s…’
I’ve since played it, played it and played it… In fact, I can’t stop playing it – REALLY LOUD…
I Hate The Young, drawls Mr Retch as he threatens to feed them to his dog, he’ll then Pray For Rain to wash away his DNA, maybe from guilt? No, I doubt it… And there’s good reason… There’s nothing nice about this album (it’s so good!) – melting faces on insect zappers is not nice… Also love the evil hum of You’re The Reason, the instant agony you feel as it fills your room with angst ridden guitar despair.
There’s also fifteen minutes of The Road Rage Suite a (kind of) medley or concept section of six songs in one, all about twats on the road and what we’d ALL like to do to them. From BMW drivers, to those idiots who do 40 In A 70 or who stop when the light isn’t red yet. Lots of content on killing these offenders and reversing over their corpses (just to make sure) yeah….
I love the term ‘garage’ – it brings up all sorts of visuals – I see this band of unwashed stooges in a smoke filled garage, making an awful ear-piercing racket, and they couldn’t give a shit. There’s a battered car on the drive, the number plate is hanging off, it reads MC 5.
The Dry Retch are that band, they have dirty plasters on bleeding fingers, stale booze on their breath and a fistful of sneers, They don’t need a cure, they need a final solution.
And Final Solution is about saving the best until last. You’ve bought your ticket to the sonic redemption and The Dry Retch ably assist with this superb piece… An ambling guitar over a cool riff. You jump-start that wreck of a car and head into town with the intent of getting all Grand Theft Auto on anyone who gets in your way…
