By Henry Lipput
Steve Conte’s new album The Concrete Jangle (Wicked Cool Records) is being released this Saturday on Record Store Day! So find a store here and get there early!
New York-based rocker Conte has worked with The New York
Dolls and Michael Monroe and for The Concrete Jangle he has joined forces with
Andy Partridge of XTC and, most recently, last year’s The 3 Clubmen EP. Conte
and Partridge co-wrote the five songs on side one of the album and Conte went
it alone for the five songs on side two. “I knew they’d have to stand up next
to the Partridge co-writes,” said Conte in the album’s press materials about
the songs on the flip side, “so I pulled some of the more psychedelic,
adventurous, soulful songs from the Beatles/XTC/Motown side of my musical
brain.”
The Concrete Jangle kicks off with the lead track and the first
single from the album “Fourth of July.” The song is a burst of pop goodness and
although it has trademark Partridge lyrical flourishes Conte brings the vocal
and guitar licks for which he is known to make the song his own.
“Hey Hey Hey (Aren’t You The One”) starts off with a guitar riff
reminiscent of Wasp Star’s “Playground” and continues with more riffs, a clean,
melodic guitar solo, and some neat farfisa organ fills. And then there’s Partridge
in love-struck mode: “Aren’t you the one/The one set to stun/Zap my heart just
for fun/Are you the one.” Partridge was given co-producer credit for the
co-writes and this is most apparent on “One Last Bell” a song whose arrangement
recalls XTC songs like “The Last Balloon” and “Harvest Festival.”
Side two is all Conte all the time. Highlights (and there
are many) include “All Tied Up.” It’s a cool tune about the many faces of love
and features a terrific vocal from Conte as well as some of the best guitar
work on the album (and there are handclaps!). “Girl With No Name” is a power
pop treat with a tune and arrangement that could have been a
mid-Sixties AM radio hit (and might just be one now on the interwebs radio).
