For most of us, getting smacked in the face during a night on the piss is not much fun, let alone a career opportunity. But for Von Bondies frontman Jason Stollsteimer, one particular shiner has proved to be the greatest marketing tool he and his band could possibly have hoped for: the fist in question belonging to none other than international rock superstar Jack White. Cue headlines…
While weedy Jack may have pulled a punch, Stollsteimer has something far more powerful up his sleeve. Pawn Shoppe Heart is the band’s debut major label LP and easily kicks the shit out of every other rock act I’ve come across in recent memory (Franz Ferdinand included, wusses). Opening with the almighty ‘No Regrets’ – odds on anthem of the year – Pawn Shoppe… grabs big, dirty riffs by the balls, soaks the vocal in reverb and lets rip on the rhythm section for an ear assault of epic proportions. ‘Broken Man’ boasts a roaring jet engine of a guitar line, ‘Been Swank’ swaggers along to a bluesy lick, while the ferocious ‘Not That Social’ makes you want to smash stuff up.
It’s not all foot to the floor though. Unlike Jet’s god awful attempts at balladeering, The Von Bondies turn it down a notch in style, opting instead for dark, sultry, Doors-esque ambience, lethargic melodies and lulling bass, with Stollsteimer’s ghostly howl gliding over the top (see ‘Mairead’ and ‘Right Of Way’).
The verdict is quite simple. This is a killer record, combining arse-kicking rock out riffs, well crafted dynamics and intelligent songwriting. As he sings on ‘No Regrets’ “Shut off your days and turn on your nights/Cos the chance is for the taking and the taking’s right”. Convinced me? I think so!