Boots Electric: Honkey Kong

Boots Electric
Honkey Kong
Dangerbird Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: A fun ride that only Jesse Hughes could take you on with his Boots Electric debut.

Album Review:
A couple things you need to know about Boots Electric. 1) This is a Jesse Hughes (Eagles Of Death Metal) solo vehicle, 2) It is as crazy sounding as the cover will have you think it is, 3) There are a multitude of genres represented, 4) you must take it lightly, sit back and just smile. Honkey Kong definitely is still an extension of Eagles danceable garage rock only now Hughes extends that vibe to all spectrums of the musical scene. The "Boots Electric Theme" is probably the best representation of when Boots Electric goes right, as it has a heavy memorable beat, swirling keyboard effects by Money Mark (Beastie Boys) and supporting female vocals from the powerful Brody Dalle (Distillers, Spinnerette) that all concoct a fun rock beat track that is catchy and memorable. The rest of the record has the same loose feel to it as it tries different things, like the bluesy rock R&B on "Oh Girl" or the piano driven ballad "No Ffun". This in and out of styles goes on throughout Honkey Kong down to the closing Americana track "Swallowed By The Night" that comes complete with a fiddle. Honkey Kong also brings the talent, as his EODM partner Josh Hommes shows up playing guitar on "Dreams Tonight" and Juliette Lewis supplies some vocals to the sassy "You'll Be Sorry". The record was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Depeche Mode, The Kooks) and co-written with keyboardist Money Mark, so every track here sounds polished and gets to the point, as the album is just over 30 minutes long. Honkey Kong is what it is and never makes promises to be serious but guarantees to give you a good time, so if you have enjoyed Hughes and Eagles Of Death Metal before then there is no reason that Boots Electric won't appeal to you.

Key Tracks: "Complexity", "Boots Electric Theme", "Oh Girl"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Beck
Andrew W.K.
Cake

Boots Electric Website
Boots Electric Facebook
Dangerbird Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony