The Cramps
Psychedelic Jungle

THE REVIEW

When I think of new wave, I think of England with its various Joy Division and progeny, PIL, Siouxsie, maybe even the Cure and a thousand other groups from the most diverse genres with electro or jazzy tendencies, gothic or funk shades...
When I think of new wave, I think of America, a different new wave and in some respects less cohesive (less compactable), where the champions are distinctly divided into geographical zones: on the east coast (in New York, for the record) the Television, forefathers of the entire genre with their rhythmic, deviant, yet lyrical guitar sound, while on the west coast (San Francisco) one of the best-preserved legends, Tuxedo Moon, proponents of a whimsical cross between punk glam futurism and kraut tendencies. But in this entire melting pot, I also like to remember a perhaps minor group, not for this any less original or attractive: the Cramps.
Hailing from Detroit, they create a paradoxically anachronistic and post-modern project. In their fusion of new wave and Elvis-like rock'n'roll hides a deep love for music that is no longer compensated with a citation taste worthy of a Tarantino in love with horror B-movies more than anything else. The primordial and panicky rock is ironically revisited through the most current music of the period (the wave) and spiced with the stylistic features of certain typically American cinema. The result might resemble a session between the most intoxicated Doors and the most tenebrous Cure. A good part of the credit surely goes to Kid Congo Powers (founder of the Gun Club and then member of the Bad Seeds who accompanied Nick Cave in the masterpiece Tender Prey) and his creaking guitar that on this album takes over from Bryan Gregory, completing the lineup composed of the sickly singer Lux Interior, the porn guitarist Poison Ivy, and the crazy percussionist on duty.
Therefore, Psychedelic Jungle is the group's second album and it differs from the debut for being less noise, more classic, less challenging and quite amusing. It's clear that it's not a milestone, but it's extremely enjoyable and immediately sticks to your ears. Tracks like Beautiful Gardens (which sounds as if PIL under ex-Rotten Johnny were born in the fifties), the drunk serial killer country rock of Goo Goo Muck, the swinging Rockin' Bones, or the dated despair of Voodoo Idol can't help but win you over and become personal evergreen favorites from the first listen.