Back again after an almost twenty-year absence comes the Galactic Cowboys with a new album, one which features all four original members of the band. Not too many bands wait so long between albums but the Galactic Cowboys found themselves in a situation whereby they were caught between two polar opposites.
Initially signed to Geffen, they were heralded as the next big thing. At this time the monster that was Guns ‘n Roses was all-conquering, with Appetite For Destruction shifting copies by the shedload, so Geffen held back on the Cowboys, but in that time the world changed, rock fell out of fashion and the band’s debut album was released around the same time as Nirvana’s Nevermind and the juggernaut that became Grunge exploded onto the scene. The band gamely persevered but then entered into a hiatus after a couple more albums.
But now they’re back, and they’re really cooking again, showing all the chops that so attracted David Geffen to them. The album bursts with all the freshness of their earlier works, sharing the explosion of energy and creativity which results from almost twenty years of musical pent-up passion and inspiration finally being released. If you already know the Cowboys, you’ll immediately reconnect with this new album, which is alternatively heavy, whimsical and crunching, the sound of a band on a mission, the sound of a band making up for lost time. If you’re new to the Cowboys, you’ll soon be pulled in and will right feel at home. There’s no Pro-tooling, drum triggers or even vocal tuning, this is just real music played by real musicians.
From the opening notes of ‘In The Clouds’, it’s as though they’ve never been away. Their songs are emotional in topic and often with a dose of ironic humour included. Next Joke looks at the unrealistic expectations which set you up for everyday failure, ‘Internal Masquerade’ examines the inner turmoil endemic in the human condition, and Zombies considers the implausibility of finding love on the very last day of human existence. All throughout the album, the harmonies are crisp and the playing shows no sign of twenty-year old rust.
“We can’t wait for the fans to hear this and it’s great to be back,” said Dane Sonnier (guitar and vocals). This is a well-merited return to the planet for the Cowboys, and one which will hopefully see them claim the place they were denied all those years ago.
