Whiskey Kiss – “Dangerous One”

Whiskey Kiss are a band that are actually led by a husband and wife duo, Niki and Nick White. Whilst unashamedly a rockabilly influenced band, it is also good to hear that they are keen to expand on that sound. This means that as well as being influenced by legends from that genre like Wanda Jackson and Johnny Burnett, they also relate to more modern artists such as Jack White and Amy Winehouse.

Opening with the title track “Dangerous One” you immediately learn a lot about Whiskey Kiss. It’s a sultry song with a rockabilly flavour, but the inclusion of a snipped of the James Bond theme show’s they’re a band who want to have fun. A theme continued by the upbeat, pure rock n roll of “You Upset Me”. Songs like “Two Timin’ Two Step” and “Rockabilly Boy” are just built with the purpose of getting you up and dancing and having a good time.

There will always be a ‘retro’ feel to this kind of music, but when it sounds this good, who cares. There’s a passion in a song like “Hot Toddy (Love Sick)” that you just don’t seem to get from more ‘modern’ sounding music.

The other side to this style of music is there is always a seductive side, often mixed with a sense of danger. On this album, it is served up by the slow tone of “Take The Long Way Down”. The band don’t always play it entirely straight though. On “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” they take a classic stray cat strut and add a more Latin esque flavour to it. A step taken even further by the New Orleans/Mexican feel of “La Trompeta” which will have you searching for a mardi gras festival.

It all leaves you with the feeling that Whiskey Kiss would be a fantastic band to see live. Even on the album you get a sense of cabaret and entertainment about the band. They’ve delivered an album that is built on rockabilly but also with flourishes of a slower side that brings in their influences from jazz and swing.  Anyone who has enjoyed the music of the likes of Devil Doll or the hugely popular Imelda May will certainly find a lot to enjoy on this release.