I got scared. I swore at the opening lyrics that this was a misprint and the tune was being sung by Tom Petty. Was it the twang? Was it the juice harp?
IS THAT A JUICE HARP!? Wait, don't get scared, hang on. Make it through the opening stanza and everything clears up. Hey now there he is Adam Ant. Sounding oddly accented but regardless without a doubt Mr Ant is there with a layered parfait of music. They're calling this his comeback. I'm not so sure if its a come back or a reunion. I cant see this being interesting to garner new fans but I can see his old fans (and those who turned away from him after 'Goody Two Shoes") I like but not love it and I wish it had more pronounced drumming. One of my favorite things about Adam Ants music was the tribal drum. This is not true to Antmusic recipe.
"Gun In Your Pocket" was supposed to be the first release from his new LP 'Cool Zombie' but instead they went with the title track. I can say that 'Gun' sounds like glam rock and I much prefer it to 'Zombie', vocally I'm not so sure that's Adam….could it be? Sounds like Mott The Hoople.Just curious why he shouts 'suck my kiss' at the end of tune but it works so let it go.
To sum this up. Adam Ants vocals are no longer his own. There is not that deep thrust throat and pirate wail. Its a grittier twangy somewhat confused sound and if these songs were not stamped as his I would have just thought them from some Brit pop newbie. I have a funny feeling these songs (as well as the rest of the album) will grow on me and get some heavy duty rotation time. I
Real Ant fans have seen waves of change in his work and this certainly is a tsunami but in a good way. He may have lost his live show appeal but recorded, I think he still got it. From an interview in Spinner Ant describes himself best:
"I'm a pirate metal rocker now because these guys, metal, they look great, they're sexy, they play hardcore and they don't give a monkey's."