Rock n' Roll for the modern age.
King Mob was a London based organisation that advocated social revolution in the 70s. No... wait, King Mob is a rock 'n roll collective made up of music legends Glenn Matlock (Sex Pistols), Chris Spedding (Roxy Music/ John Cale), Martin Chambers (The Pretenders), Stephen W Parsons (Sharks) and fresh guitar talent Sixteen. Surely this combination of musicians means that the King Mob coincidence is no coincidence at all. Not content with leaving their respective backgrounds in punk and all sorts of experimental music behind them, these guys have not mellowed with age. They're just as mischievous and cacophonous as ever.
Dripping pure cool as they amble suavely to the stage, surrounded by a thick cloud of cigarette smoke, King Mob advocates its modernised style of good ol' Rock 'n Roll. Almost otherworldly in its approach, Force 9 compounds blues lamentation, balled up fury and an extroverted sexual nature as its core, dressing it up with dark abstract sounds heard more often in artists like Lannegan and Homme. A touch of dusky doo-wop later and you have the King Mob sound. The album's roots in early 60s blues and complex jazz movements are emphasised more so when you discover that King Mob cite Duke Ellington and Jimmy Page as influences due to their big band leader capabilities.
Every song on Force 9 is highly listenable. If you're a fan of the raucous side of rock 'n roll, album opener Lovers of Great Renown is for you. Or, perhaps you'd rather a slow paced bluesy melody? In which case Secret Song is the one you need to immediately transfer through your ears and into your brain. Whatever your musical needs might be, if you're a fan of guitar driven rock then King Mob is right up your alley and just behind the door marked "satisfying".
I'd also like to add that the album was recorded in four days. Well golly gee whizz, the production is so slick you'd never know.
Recommended listening includes, Lovers of Great Renown, Secret Song and Selene Selene. Force 9 is out now on Steamhammer/SPV records.