Swedish rockers, Electric Boys, are back with a bang on their eighth album Grand Explosivos. With the enigmatic and always entertaining frontman Conny Bloom at the helm, the Boys have continued to reinvent the hard rock/funk rock blend in which they excel. The new album has a similar refreshing feel that harks back to their Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride debut but has a bang-up-to-date edginess.
Take opener ‘When Life Treats You Funky’ as an example: there’s funk, heavy rock and subtle blues all wrapped up in an immediate riff with the added bonus of a sing-a-long chorus in waiting and some great guitar. A punkish, funky but still heavy structure welcomes you on the humorously titled ‘Better Safe Than Sober.’ The funk takes a back seat on the pure rock of ‘I’ve Got A Feelin’’ which many bands of the 80s probably wish they’d written. ‘And The Band Played On – Part 1’ is the piece de resistance as the Boys somehow successfully marry rock ’n’ roll with bluegrass, southern rock and hints of soul and funk to deliver a simply excellent slice of, above all, quality rock. Part two closes the album with a 95-second instrumental reworking of Part One and the only pity is that it didn’t stay a little longer and further develop the drama.
Elsewhere, we get the infectious funk rock of ‘Karma’s Gonna Get You’; the mysterious and (sort of) glam rock of ‘Learjet’ with cowbell! ‘Cozmic Jagger’ is not what the title suggests…this is funk done brilliantly and you will be singing “jing-a-ling’ on repeat… guaranteed. Out of so many catchy tracks, the catchiness of the glam-infused heavy rock of ‘The Great Believer’ is the one I keep returning to… the lyrics are neat too.
If you’re already a fan of Electric Boys, you are going to adore this album, as they take cues from the past and bring the new to bear on ten (eleven with the instrumental) songs of quality.
If you are yet to hear their unique approach to heavy rock, this is a great place to start but be warned, it may cost you a little extra as you’ll want their back catalogue too.
Grand Explosivos is released on 15th September 2023.
