Louis XIV - Slick Dogs And Ponies Review

Louis XIV's first album was a sleazy, breezy dose of AC/DC-inspired rawk & roll that put over its swagger with a cheesy wink and a playfully sexy bump and grind. It was the kind of record Brian Johnston might put on when he's sitting down at home to relax; totally silly and a lot of fun. Their second album Slick Dogs and Ponies is a decidedly darker effort with a greasy strand of evil congealing right below the surface. The sound of the album is much fuller and less punchy, songs are weighted down by gloomy strings, vocals are framed by vocal choirs, and the raunchy guitars that propelled the first album are pushed to the background. It's a more mature and substantial sound but the record lacks the snap, bounce, and goofiness that made Best Little Secrets Are Kept a success....full text Sleazy is as sleazy does, and Louis XIV proved its mettle with a shamelessly cheeky collection of oversexedglam-rock songs on the band’s 2005 major-label debut, “The Best Little Secrets are Kept.” Things don’t go as well on the follow-up.

The San Diego rockers haven’t completely reined in their runaway libidos on “Slick Dogs and Ponies,” but they stray from the devilish attitude that made their brazen dirty talk such a riot....full text Even Louis XIV's own members must be sick of the gimmicks that drove their 2005 major — label debut, The Best Little Secrets Are Kept: T.Rex — y guitars, Bon Scott — style vocals, perved — out lyrics. So on its second album, the San Diego group finds new tricks, from cellos played like rhythm guitars to Queen — like choirs of one. It all sounds great, thanks to co — leader Jason Hill's creative production and engineering (dig the double — high — hat tracks — one in each speaker — on the title song). But there's still too much of Brian Karscig's ultracampy "Big Balls" — style vocals, and it sometimes feels like these guys have confused expanding their range with finding new sources to rip off: The trippy "Air Traffic Control" bites Radiohead and Bowie, and an unnervingly sincere ballad ("Hopesick") sounds a lot like the Eels' "Novocaine for the Soul....full text