Graham Day
and
Billy Childish
are the Twin Titans of Medway Garage Rock in the U.K., and they share a similar love of tough, unapologetically backward-looking rock & roll rooted in the sounds of the mid-'60s. Their musical worldview overlaps enough that
Day
has worked with
Childish
on several occasions, with the former joining the latter in his bands
the Buff Medways
and the
Musicians of the British Empire
. However, while
prizes grit and rough textures,
aims for a more professional product, making records that hit hard but boast a full-bodied, well-detailed sound that suggests a classic
Who
or
Rolling Stones
session from 1965. This makes
's work more approachable on the surface, but a single spin of 2023's
Reflections in the Glass
,
's third album with his group
the Gaolers
, confirms he knows how to make a first-class rock & roll record, filled with rock-solid R&B-influenced tunes, grand buzzing guitars, a swinging rhythm section, and occasional interjections from a tastefully applied Hammond B-3 organ. Working with bassist
Jonny Barker
(a frequent
collaborator) and drummer
Dan Elektro
(a member of American garage mavens
the Woggles
),
' first album since 2008's
Triple Distilled
has enough energy and focus that it's hard to believe the frontman was almost 60 years old when this was recorded. His vocals on "Different Rules" and "A Rose Thorn (Sticking in Your Mind's Eye)" have a bite that matches the report of his guitar, he sounds thoughtful and authoritative on "Mystery Man" and "Filtered Face," and he makes himself sound like the sort of bad influence you can't help following on "I Will Let You Down." If
is the star of this show,
Barker
Elektro
are the best sort of supporting players, powering these performances with muscle and an unerring backbeat, as well as throwing in vocal harmonies that give the melodies a welcome lift. If you think they don't make British rock like they used to, you haven't heard
, which makes
Graham Day & the Gaolers
sound like they could have been playing the Marquee Club alongside
the Who
the Yardbirds
, or
the Move
and giving the crowd just as much to cheer for. ~ Mark Deming