THE PALADINS
Slippin' In (Ruf)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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For me The Paladins always sounded better on paper than on record. Mixing Tex-Mex, Buddy Holly rockabilly with some twangy rock sounds like a can't miss proposition, and early efforts sounded enough like The Blasters to warrant further recordings. Can't say I've held on to any of their records though, though all that's a changin' with this platter. "Slippin' In" brings with it a real urgency needed to pull that rockabilly pose off - the boys finally have the sound to match all that Brylcreme. And best of all they've added a bit of camp to their act. Side one closes strongly with "Five Minute Love Affair", a dandy double entendre bit which turns out to be a narrative by a cigarette. That sets the stage for side two, which is where the real action is. A Crampish fog sets in for "Judgement day", "Vampira" (a '58 Bobby Bare tune you trivia nut) and the wooly Dick Dale-ish "Return To Polara". This is the goods, folks. Finally The Paladins rock out!

© 1999 - John Sekerka