Jump back five years and the Night Beats were one of the bands offering up authentic rough edged Garage Rock infused with roadrunner Rhythm & Blues. The bands 2016 album, their third LP release, ‘Who Sold My Generation’ was one of the standout records of that year and, after catching them on their UK tour, I felt certain that they were headed into the same space as occupied by Jack White and the Black Keys. The Night Beats, since their formation in 2009, have always been the musical vehicle for singer and songwriter Danny ‘Lee Blackwell’ Rajan Billingsley and he has been the only constant member in an ever-rotating line up. This can be problematic for bands with this kind of set up (the Waterboys are a good example who spring to mind) because the elevation of the music can be dependent on the central artist finding a similarly tuned in group of players to bring his vision to life and let it fly. With that 2016 album he had Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bassist Robert Levon Been playing and producing and that combination in particular lead to the Night Beats really locking into something. But Been was not a permanent member and these constant changes resulted in a drop in momentum after 2016.

All this made it even more of a welcome surprise and delight that, with ‘Outlaw R&B,’ the Night Beats appear to have spectacularly locked back into their mojo. Written and recorded in the aftermath of wildfires in Blackwell’s hometown of California and lockdown, the singer says of the release that it is aimed at “those whose minds aren’t sold by perfect pitch and clean fingernails.” If by that he means it is a step away from the 2019 Dan Auerbach produced ‘Myth Of A Man’, a record made with more senior session hands and with a rather more polished sheen, then he is bang on the money. ‘Outlaw R&B’ is a return to the very sound and groove that gave the Night Beats their stand-out edge in the first place; sixties garage echoes, pounding aggressive bluesy grooves and melodious songs that leave the listener wanting more. It revs its engines from the off, ‘Stuck In The Morning’ crashing in propelled by a marching beat and punctuated by resonant, dramatic swings on the chiming electric guitar. Album openers are, generally, positioned to tempt you to dive into a record, if this doesn’t do exactly that then my recommendations are not for you; there is simply nothing not to like here.

‘Revolution’ is the first of many sugarcoated hooks, its lyrics celebrating the action of turning your heals and pushing a rebellion of the mind into real motion, the whole tune is brilliantly shadowed by wild fuzz guitar lines. ‘New Day’ has a break of day freshness while ‘Hell In Texas’ is the sound of fuzztone rock ‘n’ rollers crawling through the hot desert; in fact, it’s rather like a distant cosmic cousin of ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky.’ ‘Thorns’ prods your ear lobes with its insistent hooks and sharp twangy edges while there is more than a tiny hint of the Velvets white light and heat with ‘Never Look Back’ (a track which features Robert Levon Been). Again though, it is those sixties primitive brush strokes that make the tune a welcome nugget, those jubilant backing vocals, and the pure pop punch of the top line. ‘Shadow’ has a spooky drone vibe then ‘Crypt’ demolishes brick walls to emphasize that, in essence, the Night Beats have a rock ‘n’ roll soul. ‘Cream Johnny’ indulges in spiraling psychedelics, falsetto vocals and deep space squelches that disappear into orbit and make way for an acoustic guitar fronted section. ‘Ticket’ drives us off a cliff into the darkness and closer ‘Holy Roller’ sends the album off in a puff of Stooges-like acoustic/electric riff-toting smoke planting a seed of lingering fuzz guitar spreading through your brain. This is 40 minutes and eleven songs worth of pure, wild, raw, thumping goodness.

Find a vinyl pressing of this album here: https://www.discogs.com/release/19066471-Night-Beats-Outlaw-RB