Ryan’s back – and this time he’s bringing an army….
The place to begin discussing “The Devil’s In The Detail” is, oddly perhaps, right at the end. Because the last minute and nine seconds of this is a hidden song called “Ode To Idiots” in which Ryan Hamilton takes internet trolls to task on the snottiest country punk this side of Jason and the Scorchers. He ends it with the gleeful line: “I know you live with your mum and I’ll be seeing her again…” and in so doing shows why he just might be the best writer of pop rock songs with incredible hooks that we have right now.
He showed this on “Hell Of A Day” his solo record from a couple of years ago, and now in his new band with The Traitors, he underlines it, dots the I’s crosses the T’s and delivers something approaching a classic.
Kicking off with “Smarter” (sample hook line: “I’m still not clean, and I’m not sober, I’m just a little bit smarter and a whole lot older”) which essentially is the type of thing that former touring mate Ginger does on his solo records, “…..Detail” is one of the most uplifting and empowering records that you’ll hear in 2017.
Every one of these is a gem. “We Never Should Have Moved To LA” – which contains the line “don’t be such a see you next Tuesday” and still rules – “Anywhere”, which gets bonus points for namechecking Tom Petty and Van Halen, and the gorgeous “Heavy Heart” come and go in a blur.
It is the versatility of Hamilton that really impresses. “Scottish Mud” comes on like a cross between Redd Kross and Fountains Of Wayne, “The Gulf Of Mexico” is Cheap Trick writ large but in between is “Back In Time” which is a brilliant, evocative love song.
A Texas native, there is a welcome Country lilt to many of the 12 songs here. Perhaps the best of them is “Cheaters Never Change” with its brilliant lap steel usage, but that he follows this up with the Bowie-esque glam rock stomp of “Drugs And Fashion” is proof, perhaps, of a songwriter that isn’t too bothered about tied down.
Simply a master of a three minute pop song, Hamilton and The Traitors pack more into these than anyone has any right to in the time frame. “Strength In Numbers” boasts more hooks than most bands achieve in a career and “Don’t Say I Told You So” is a duet in the classic mould and “It Ain’t Easy” has a kind of The Eagles type feel as if to exemplify the idea that there’s nothing that can’t be tried here.
Which brings us back – literally – to where we came in. The reason why “Ode To Idiots” is so important is this: if you listened to haters who like to tell you how music is supposed to sound, then record’s like this don’t get made. If you stay true to yourself, make the ones you wanted to, they do. “The Devil’s In The Detail” is a collective middle finger to those who think they know what cool is and at the same time have done nothing more creative than press an emoji on Facebook, and it is absolutely brilliant.
Rating 9/10
