The Urban Voodoo Machine “15 Shots From The Urban Voodoo Machine”

Really you shouldn’t need this album as you should already own everything that The Urban Voodoo Machine have done! However, for the newcomers it’s a great introduction. As the title may suggest, it’s a compilation of 15 of the band’s singles.

Although, it quickly demonstrates that within just 15 songs this band can demonstrate a huge breadth of styles and influences. At their most straightforward (which isn’t that often!) they offer up some great rockabilly flavoured songs. Tracks like “Always Out” and “Cheers For The Tears” are just great, fun filled, rock n roll songs.

That can be contrasted against the flamenco, gypsy blues of songs like “Love Song 666” and “Fallen Brothers”. Together with “Goodbye To Another”, these tracks offer a real feel of freedom and debauchery.

Indeed, most of these songs are like mini performances in themselves. Be that a ballad like, western waltz in the shape of “Rather You Shot Me Down” and “Goodnight My Dear” or the carnival sing along of “Help Me Jesus”. In fact, the cacophony of sounds and styles on numbers like “Crazy Maria” are about the closest you’ll get to a Mardi Gras party for your ears. Of course, as with any art form with a seedier side, there will always be an element of pathos as well. That’s demonstrated by the perhaps surprisingly restrained, but still great, sound of “January Blues”.

You can’t, and indeed you shouldn’t, pigeon hole The Urban Voodoo Machine. There’s no musical genre that covers their mix of punk, rock, folk, blues, flamenco, rock n roll etc etc. Instead, you should just drink it all in and appreciate their uniqueness. Although, the thing you really need to do is to go and see them live. In that environment they put on a show that no band around at the moment can really match. Their live shows aren’t just gigs but are more of a life affirming experience!