THE FLARE-UP!

‘Whip 'em Hard Whip 'em Good’ is an impressive party album full of dirty simplistic rock 'n' roll promise from little known Swedish band The Flare-Up! Opening track ‘Put it in a Letter’, ‘Vicious Seeds’, ‘Kid Avenger’ and the superbly titled ‘To Kill A Puerto Rican’ are catchy and in your face, very much in the vein of early Datsuns. The excellent title track is a powerful heartfelt ballad reminding me of Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople and offers a stark contrast. ‘The Rudes’ kicks off with Mikael Nadell's bass coming across like Jean Jacques Burnell and the track does veer into early Stranglers territory and, staying with the Stranglers influence, ‘Too Many Zombies’ features Niklas Hagen old fashioned organ sounding very much like Dave Greenfield.. The wonderfully catchy ‘All Them Pretty Dolls’, which comes across like the poppy side of the Datsuns, is the album's most commercial track and my particular favourite. ‘Sure You're Big Enough’ is an irresistible old fashioned, mainly instrumental, rock 'n' roll delight and would have been a great way to end the album if it wasn't for the lumbering, largely unimpressive uncredited track that followed. If you're looking for an album that will kick your ass, make you leap around and put a big cheesy grin on your face then ‘Whip 'em Hard Whip 'em Good’ should provide the perfect soundtrack for you.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Criminal Records

Album

WHIP 'EM HARD, WHIP 'EM GOOD

Review by Dave Crewe

RUNNING TIME:

38:15

RELEASE DATE:

25th Sept 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Put it in a Letter
2) Vicious Seeds
3) Whip 'Em Hard, Whip 'Em Good
4) Kid Avenger
5) To Kill a Puerto Rican
6) The Rudes
7) Too Many Zombies
8) Little China Boy
9) All Them Pretty Dolls
10) Sure You're Big Enough

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Sweden

"If you're looking for an album that will kick your ass, make you leap around and put a big cheesy grin on your face then ‘Whip 'em Hard Whip 'em Good’ should provide the perfect soundtrack for you."