You think it’s the drink. You think it’s the drugs. You think it’s her. Something has to be causing your feet to move and, although it was probably her psychic powers in mischief mode, I prefer to believe it was The Amphetameanies. The Amphetameanies, you see, are the kind of band that could start a party anywhere and their third album, “Last Chance Bordello”, highlights the fact that they still have plenty of musical bullets left in their gun.
Whilst it is true that they have maintained their zealous adoration of that 2Tone sound, there are also adventures into songs that might have need to go (just) over the three minute mark with “Out Of Reach”, in particular, making its country and western lyrical motivations obvious despite the rocksteady respray. “Haunting”, haunted no doubt by the ghost of Madness, makes the most of its hypnotic beat and, thanks to an appealingly laconic vocal by Jane Chalmers, the memory of the song lasts longer than the exorcism.
“Tales of the Arizona Highway Patrol” robustly returns the band to their dance floor roots and will motivate those boots to walk back towards the sparkly light of the mirror ball while “So Numb” shows that there is more in the Amphetameanie armoury than reverence and, as just a song, would make many a Nashville singer very happy.
So, all in all, “Last Chance Bordello” is more of the same from The Amphetameanies but credit has to be given to them for being one of the few Glasgow albums to produce an album that could rightly be called fun. My feet, despite my best efforts to stop them, keep dancing.