LONDON CALLING "The New Sensation"
by Dana Brittingham

Booklet: 10 International Calling Cards out of 10
Jeepers, it's not even a booklet! Just an insert card. Cheap, cheap, cheap. No color, no band photos, no lyrics, zilch, zip, nada. Just tracking and basic production notes on the flipside of the panel. Oh yeah, there's some line art of a little robot guy. Cute. So why does this packaging deserve a 10/10 rating? Take out the CD and look at the back of the traycard. That's where London Calling stuck their thank-you list, making creative use of space and giving special thanks to "the folks at Metal Sludge." You're welcome, London Calling. Thank you for remembering us. Bands take note: that's all it takes to get a perfect booklet score! Don't forget to give props to the Sludge.

Songs: 9 Transoceanic Phone Cables out of 10
If you didn't already know, London Calling is fronted by former Guardian-AdrianGale vocalist / 20 Questions victim / low-carb dieter / self-proclaimed Jesus freak and hard-core Sludgeaholic Jamie Rowe, who once auditioned for Ratt and had a feud with the Blue Meanie (though not at the same time). However, Jamie is probably best known for his vocal work on the international mega-hit "7-11 (Isn't Too Far Away)," voted 'best song of the year" in the 2001 Sludgeaholic Choice Awards. Naturally, "7-11" is a hard act to follow, but Jamie pulls it off with his new band London Calling. The CD begins with the Seinfeld-esque "Song About Nothing," which totally sets the tone for the whole album, a collection of power-pop tunes that are fun, melodic, guitar-driven catchy songs. Kind of in the same vein as 40 Ft. Ringo, Mars Electric, Butch Walker, etc., with just a hint of 60's Brit-Pop undertones (a correlation with the cover art, perhaps). Heck, there's even one cover song -- Cheap Trick's "Just Got Back." You don't get much more power-pop than that! If you were expecting Christian hard rock ala Guardian or Stryper, you may be in for a letdown as the songs don't have any overtly noticeable religious overtones. That doesn't mean Jamie sings about drawing pentagrams and drinking goat's blood; rather, the lyrics all have a positive slant. I believe bands like P.O.D. and Creed are now termed "inspirational," but don't let that bother you. Regardless of what belief structure inspired these songs, it all boils down to the fact that London Calling has recorded, plain and simply, some really good music. Check out the songs "Haunting Me," "Supernatural Girl," "Wonderland" -- for that matter, check out the whole album. There's some comedy in the tracking -- fooling around in the studio and whatnot, including drummer Derek D. Sorrells doing lead vocals on what sounds like an ad-lib acoustic performance called "Country Girl." It confused me until I started laughing, and then it was all good. What's truly impressive is that the entire CD was recorded in a little studio in southern Indiana in just 4 days. These songs are as good, if not better, than most of the stuff being played on modern rock radio these days ("You Make My World Go Round" gives Train's "Drops of Jupiter" a run for its money, IMO). Perhaps that's why it's reported that London Calling has been attracting some tangible big-label interest. Good. With songs like this, they deserve it.

Comments: These guys are all Sludgeaholics (London Calling have opened an MSX show and played at our Metal Sludge Extravaganza #7), so by all means, show them some love. In all honesty, this is absolutely one of my favorite CDs from all of 2003. Seriously. The songs would've gotten a 10/10 rating, but that wouldn't leave London Calling with anything left to aspire to, now would it? Well this review has become more long-winded than a Chip Z'Nuff interview, but I can't say enough good things about 'The New Sensation,' so deal with it.