The L.A. Maybe: ‘Dirty Damn Tricks Deluxe Edition’
THE L.A. MAYBE
DIRTY DAMN TRICKS DELUXE EDITION
Released on August 26, 2022 (The L.A. Maybe)
Review:
Carolina’s The L.A. Maybe have created quite a stir already in the New Wave of Classic Rock circles with this their debut album alongside a successful tour that included some sweat soaked UK dates; and now they offer a deluxe version of the album featuring bonus demo versions and acoustic renditions of some tracks.
“Mr. Danger” is a fine, swaggering way to kick off proceedings, and the instantly familiar sounding “Sucker Punch” is a ballsy rocker that deserves to be a staple on every rock radio broadcast out there. “Oh Sugar” encompasses their best Aerosmith circa “Rocks” era vibe and is of course none the worse for it. “She’s Reckless” is another effective belter that has a Guns N’ Roses stamp all over it but again without being intrusive in any way, and the mid-tempo “Peace of Mind” is sumptuous. The simply stunning “When I’m Gone” is a gorgeously emotive ballad and one of the finest of its kind that you will hear anywhere — in my opinion of course! The funky tinged “Take Me Away”, the harder edged “Sweat”, and the gang style “Fake” are all future crowd pleasers; whilst the almost certainly future single “Up Next To You” closes the original album perfectly.
I’m not certain that the acoustic versions of “Oh Sugar”, an even more plaintive “When I’m Gone” or the demos of “Peace of Mind” and “She’s Reckless” are absolutely essential, but it is certainly a joy to listen to them again and hear the band revelling in their creation of softer, alternative versions. Current single “The Long Road” has a real heartland Americana feel with an essence of Steven Tyler’s foray into the same genre, which again is no bad thing to these ears.
Founder member Dallas Dwight and his guitar partner Drizzle Silvera are superb throughout, there’s some quality keyboard touches from Josh Thompson, and sure and solid work from the rhythm section of bassist Rahsaan Lacey and drummer Ryan Fosnow respectively; whilst Alvi Robinson is a practically flawless vocalist in that classic rock mould.
There is definitely a plethora of the New Wave of Classic Rock styled bands but very few that I’ve heard have quite this quality of songs or this sheer unadulterated pleasure flowing from your speakers that The L.A. Maybe provided here. Quite simply – and either in deluxe version or the original release – this is a fantastic album and should remain on every rock fan’s playlist for many years to come.
Track List:
01. Mr. Danger
02. Sucker Punch
03. Oh Sugar
04. She’s Reckless
05. Peace of Mind
06. When I’m Gone
07. Take Me Away
08. Sweat
09. Fake
10. Up Next To You
11. Peace of Mind (acoustic)
12. Oh Sugar (acoustic)
13. When I’m Gone (acoustic)
14. Peace 0f Mind (demo)
15. She’s Reckless (demo)
16. The Long Road (acoustic)
Band Members:
Alvi Robinson – vocals
Dallas Dwight – guitar
Drizzle Silvera – guitar
Josh Thompson – keyboards
Rahsaan Lacey – bass
Ryan Fosnow – drums
Production:
Mixed and mastered by Machine (1-10)
Band Websites:
Official Website
Facebook
Reviewed by Rockney Colin for Sleaze Roxx, September 2022
The L.A. Maybe‘s “Mr. Danger” video:
The L.A. Maybe‘s “Sucker Punch” video:
The L.A. Maybe‘s “The Long Road” (acoustic version) lyric video: