Jay Reatard is probably one of the coolest things to come out of Memphis. With his latest album “Watch Me Fall” set to drop on Aug. 18, this kinetic garage rocker is also packing heat with yet another tight tour schedule that kicks off Aug. 14. Except for this tour lasts three crazy months!
With 12 tracks of explosive garage punk, Reatard’s “Ain’t Gonna Save Me” opens the album up with a pleasing familiar sound. The popular track was made available as a FREE download back in May and left fans with a needy thirst for more fun, electrical tracks. “Watch Me Fall” and like much of Reatard’s music has an early 80’s aesthetic fluid with various new wave influences yet boasting a bad boy punk appeal from ‘74.
“Can’t Do It Anymore” gets pretty intense with some screeching guitar riffs towards the end. It’s like nails scratching on a chalkboard and might just blow an ear drum or two out live. Conversely, it gets a lil sweet and slow with “I’m Watching You.” Somewhat a romantic ballad, with mid-tempo instrumentals, this song would’ve been perfect for a slow-dancing prom scene in one of those awesome John Hughes flicks. In the same turn, the following track “Wounded” has a happy-go-lucky intro and chorus. A bit different from most of Reatard’s slammin’ resume, but there’s still some incessant shouts between the lyrics that point out his dismay of another’s apathy.
With its boisterous mix of songs orchestrated to keep that blood pumpin,’ “Watch Me Fall” has the kind of new album magic that every musician seeks: to have listeners keep that shit on repeat!
