ROY HANDY & THE MOONSHOT “(I’M GONNA BE) YOUR BEST FRIEND”
The Sound: Raucous rockabilly and 44 exclamation points make for a fun romp through childhood.
Best Moments: If there’s a bona fide “hit” song here, it’s the sparse rocker “Crayon Man!!!”, a cool tune perfectly suited for air-guitarists everywhere. Members of the barefoot-is-best club will rock out gleefully to “Socks are Overrated!!!” and with “Blanket!!!”, Linus finally gets his own song – the sweet ode to security blankets everywhere.
Okay, Time to Wrap it Up with a Nice Little Bow: Do you remember when the Gin Blossoms were big stars? Despite my best efforts to erase those memories, I do. Maybe you were/are like me in rejecting the smoothness of that kind of rock music. Same thing with The Eagles a couple decades prior; way too safe (disagree? then explain why both bands are low hanging fruit for easy listening radio stations these days)
Gerry Stanek must remember and must be of like-mind, because with his kindie band Roy Handy & the Moonshot, he has made an album diametrically opposed to that brand of rock-n-roll banality. The results, while mixed, are admirable. “(I’m Gonna Be) Your Best Friend” is a rough-around-the-edges party for your ears.
*Roy Handy & the Moonshot’s “(I’m Gonna Be) Your Best Friend” was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true – no arm twisting took place in the review process.
