Automan.ca – Pocket Change
AUTOMAN.CA
POCKET CHANGE
Released in 2008 (uNKLEDUNk Records)
Track List:
01. Back In The Sun
02. Dig In Deep
03. Cinnamon Rain
04. One Half Hard
05. Milldog Blues
06. Give An Inch, Take A Mile
07. Chasin’ My Tail
08. Drivin’, Rockin’, Lovin’
Band Members:
Darrell Dwarf Millar – lead vocals
Carleton Lockhart – guitars and vocals
John Fenton – bass and vocals
Adrian Cavan – drums
Production:
Produced by Darrell Dwarf Millar.
Co-produced by Greg Looper.
Review:
If you prefer your rock n’ roll to be hard-driving with loud guitars and a thunderous rhythm section topped of with a singer that personifies all things sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, then look no farther than the full-length debut of Automan.ca entitled Pocket Change. Imagine if Bon Scott ever had a band with Chuck Berry and Jeff Beck on guitars along with Led Zeppelin‘s rhythm section and that is what you will find with Automan.ca‘s debut.
Carleton Lockhart is an absolute beast on guitar, equal parts Berry, Beck and Angus Young. His finger picking technique is absolutely amazing to watch, and it’ll leave you wondering how he produces the sounds he does. Bassist John Fenton and drummer Adrian Cavan are right there in the pocket laying down a solid fat groove throughout the entire album. Drummer turned singer Darrell Millar‘s (ex-Killer Dwarfs and ex-Laidlaw member) vocals drip of sleaze ala Bon Scott and Jesse James Dupree. The production on this album is stellar, sounding perfect cranked to eleven either at home or in the car!
This album is the way a rock record should be, all prime cuts with no filler, hence the fact it is only eight songs long. All eight songs are superb from the lead-off track “Back In The Sun”, with its chugging riff accompanied by Fenton‘s thumping bass. “Dig In Deep” is a song that will bring back memories for any guy that hears it, it is from the point-of-view of a guy who is walked all over by the opposite sex yet keeps going back for more. “Cinnamon Rain” slows things down a bit, this track will be a favorite amongst the females. Kicking it up a notch or two is “One Half Hard”, a cut full of sexually driven lyrics that drips of sleaze and sex, just how rock n’ roll show be!
Up next is hands down my personal favorite, the autobiographical “Milldog Blues”, it is a balls-to-the-wall boogie blues rocker. This cut is just full of swagger, I can just envision this being a strip club anthem!! I can’t praise this song enough. “Give An Inch, Take A Mile” just pulverizes from the get-go and is a full-out AC/DC inspired rocker. Guys should take notes with the lyrics on this track as it may help us in the future. Carleton has really stepped it up on this release, as he never ceases to amaze me, especially his finger picking technique and the fact he is a lefty. A lot of guitar players will find it hard to figure out just how he plays, it is something to behold and one of the best in rock today. “Chasin’ My Tail” is a mid-tempo groove rocker that showcases my favorite vocal on the album. “Drivin’, Rockin’, Lovin'” ends the album with a high energy rocker that drips of all things rock n’ roll… fast cars, women, partying and even an AC/DC name drop. This song would be a perfect live set closer and if it gets released to radio, I smell a hit.
So, if you are a fan of good time, down and dirty rock music then this release is for you. Pocket Change is full of killer riffs, pounding rhythms, tasty hooks and lyrics full of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll… I don’t see this album leaving my CD player for a long while!
www.automan.ca – www.myspace.com/automanca – www.unkledunkrecords.com
Reviewed by Justin ‘Crash’ Crafton for Sleaze Roxx, August 2008.
Buy The CD:
Purchase at eBay.com