Since the demise of the much maligned teen hard rockers 'Trixter', Steve Brown has tried without much luck to recreate the success of the band that launched his musical career. 'Throwan Rocks' and 'Soaked' amongst others have come and gone with barely a murmur, but with his newest outfit '40 Ft Ringo', all that may be about to change.
These days, Brown handles both guitar and vocals, and is such a natural behind the mic it is a wonder Trixter ever bothered with Pete Loran. And make no mistake, with a sound that fuses tub-thumping stadium rock and the contemporary bombast of nu-breed acts like 'Marvelous 3', 'Tsar' and 'SR-71', 40 Ft Ringo's songs are so damn addictive, they should come with a health warning.
The gargantuan melody of opener 'Anyway' is a message in no uncertain terms that it is the bands' intention to bamboozle you with hooks large enough to catch prize-winning salmon, while the equally intense 'Freak Like You' leaves dinosaur-sized cranial imprints. Clearly, if it's hard hitting issue-led music you want, then you've come to the wrong place, but the band does manage to take a wry look at neighbourhood stalkers in the glorious pop-rock of 'Fanatic' and the endearing 'Origami Mommy' is a power ballad with a difference.
Elsewhere, song after song of unashamed, hyper infectious rock follows with consummate ease. The throbbing groove of 'Big Fat Smile' in particular, is the closest thing to party rock I have heard a contemporary band produce without sounding stale or tragically unhip. If anything, the melodic overload of 'Jerkoff' leans too much the other way and almost rips off the opening riff of SR-71's 'Right Now'. Still, thanks to some wickedly humourous lyrics, they get away with it, and redeem themselves with the slightly more stripped down jangle-pop of 'Be My Fix'. The slamming trio of 'Anti Zero', 'Unbroken' and 'Hopeless' are further proof, if any is needed, of the commercial credentials of 40 Ft Ringo and on this evidence, don't expect them to remain an independent band for too much longer.
Unlike long-lost relatives at Christmas, 40 Ft Ringo's 3-minute songs never outstay their welcome and musically, the band is tight, focused and enjoyable. What more do you need to be told? Do yourself a favour and hot-foot it over to www.40ftringo.com and grab a copy of this before the rest of the world gets let in on the secret.

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