Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth - Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth Album Review

Review of Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth's self titled album.

Being part of punk godfathers New York Dolls would be a satisfying enough position for some musicians, but for Steve Conte it is just one colour on his palette. With several acts on the go, this particular project formed in 2005 after a chance meeting with an old school friend and takes its name from the works of Charles Bukowski.

Punk may never have been the most progressive genre and it's no surprise to find it is an underlying style here, but this trio show how relatively simple music can easily produce enjoyable results. The tone is set by 'This Is The End', an energetic opener with a great riff, while more the of the same comes in the shape of 'Gypsy Cab', which has a stealth-like charm that'll see you humming along before you know it. A bluesy direction drives 'Texas T' before hitting a tingling solo and for those who prefer something more melodic, 'The Truth Ain't Pretty' may well hit the spot. A touch of soul also manifests itself in the shape of 'Busload Of Hope', but perhaps the track which best surmises this self-titled release is 'Strumpet-Hearted Monkey Girl'. One of the daftest track names of the year, it is also one of the most simple and fun you could hear from 2009, and is part of a record which has the key strength of being easily listenable for its duration.

Alex Lai