CJ Wildheart: Devil
(Self-released)
CD / DL / Streaming
Out Now
CJ Wildheart returns with his latest album, Devil, and proves he’s still got what it takes – and more…
For the benefit of anyone who wonders which band Joey Ramone was with, CJ Wildheart was a long-standing member of the mercurial Wildhearts’ classic line-up. But an adopted band surname isn’t quite where the similarities end. Whereas the Wildhearts are what could loosely be described as pop/metal tinged with punk attitude, CJ reverses the emphasis with the punktastic collection, Devil, at times veering into Oi! territory – without, of course, any of the negative connotations.
Indeed, when it comes to politics and societal observations, this album wears its liberal credentials very much on its sleeve. This is nowhere more obvious than with opener Nein Nein Nein, its blitzkrieg guitar intro giving way to a rip-roaring tirade about the state of the nation, and indeed, the world at large;
‘Right wing slowly taking over,
Everyone thinking they’re a soldier,
Love drowning in the hate.’
Picking up the baton, No More, with its cheeky ‘War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!’ opening, is a fiercely intense polemic against war, violence and hatred in all its forms, with a few digs at Little Englanders thrown in for good measure.
Notwithstanding CJ’s willingness to express his opinions, Devil is largely an introspective, autobiographical and, above all, celebratory album. Given the amount of soul-searching and self-doubt on show, the latter may seem a strange assertion. Despite its wildly upbeat feel, SOB (sad old boy) is a pean to youth and success, but also an acknowledgement of their inevitable ephemerality. The ebullient, punky and riff-heavy Rotten acknowledges the price to be paid for a life of excess, while even the breakneck chaos of Diva is an admission that things may have taken a turn for the worse.
But despite the reservations, there is a current of joyfulness flowing throughout an album which revels in all life’s inevitable highs and lows. We might have to put up with a lot of shit, but it’s all part of life’s rich tapestry; we learn to fall and live to fight another day. Complete with the best ‘Ahoy! Ahoy!’ chorus this side of The Skids, lead single, the boisterously Celtic-flavoured One Of The Boys, sums it all up perfectly;
‘Oh I am, I am, what I am,
I can not change the noise,
When the curtain falls I’m just one of the boys.’
Throw in a few more bangers in the shape of The Art of Being Free, Sometime To Return and Twenty Two, and it only remains for the achingly poignant Fade to play us out before, just like that, it’s all over too soon. CJ Wildheart comes out of the shadows to deliver a great little collection, all underpinned by his characteristically fluid and uninhibited guitar work. Renowned for his backing vocals and harmonies with The Wildhearts, he also proves himself to be a more than competent lead singer in his own right, delivering with power and boundless energy. Devil is a refreshing mix of sincerity, energy and humour – a life-affirming pleasure from beginning to end.
CJ Wildheart Linktree
All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.
A Plea From Louder Than War
Louder Than War is run by a small but dedicated independent team, and we rely on the small amount of money we generate to keep the site running smoothly. Any money we do get is not lining the pockets of oligarchs or mad-cap billionaires dictating what our journalists are allowed to think and write, or hungry shareholders. We know times are tough, and we want to continue bringing you news on the most interesting releases, the latest gigs and anything else that tickles our fancy. We are not driven by profit, just pure enthusiasm for a scene that each and every one of us is passionate about.
To us, music and culture are eveything, without them, our very souls shrivel and die. We do not charge artists for the exposure we give them and to many, what we do is absolutely vital. Subscribing to one of our paid tiers takes just a minute, and each sign-up makes a huge impact, helping to keep the flame of independent music burning! Please click the button below to help.
John Robb – Editor in Chief
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO LTW
Leave a comment