Electric Six – B**ch don’t let me Die

**1/2

Not dead, but certainly looking tired

Electric Six and there enigmatic front-man Dick Valentine for their eleventh studio album, yes you read that correct they have been releasing about one album a year since those heady days of ‘Fire.’ When you mention Electric Six to anyone, they will all mention ‘Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar”. Two songs that they have never managed to quite replicate the chart success of, all their big charting singles all coming off their debut album. But charts don’t matter much to me... I just want to listen to good music.

The album is dark and sleazy as we have come to expect from Electric Six with Dick Valentine’s almost screeching vocals in full force across the recording and in opening track ‘Drone Strikes’ which sets the tone for the next half hour or so. ‘Two Dollar Two’ they evoke the 80’s Rock sound with a bit of a Guns 'n' Roses style edge to it, actually it is 80’s Rock sound that mostly comes across. I am never quite sure how serious they take their music, is it meant to be novelty Rock or not.

They chuck in a couple of other styles, never straying too far from the mains sound though, with ‘Kids are Evil’ having more of a Pop edge and ‘Dime, Dime, Penny Dime’ seems to have a nod to the King himself, Mr Elvis Presley. These are a couple of the best tracks on the album as they come out as different, the main parody rock formula gets a bit tired quite quickly yet these other songs show another side to them.

I think because they made their name on the back on Rocky jokey songs they feel wedded to it, even the vocals can get a bit grating after a while. Overall it is not a bad album with a few stand out tracks and I am sure it would be great fun live, but for me anyway it feels like Electric Six are more of a singles band where the one song is fun and sticks with you.

Review by Jon Cooper

We all still know those hits like they were yesterday, yet when an album is put together you realise there is a limitation to this sound too. Electric Six are  enjoyable though, well if they are sampled in small doses. They still have a loyal following and I am sure it will be lapped up by them  but if they get to album twelve... I would like to see what more they can do. 

Check Out! the classic Video for 'Dance Commander' Below...