S.E.X. Department-s/t

Perris
2007

I seem to remember hearing this band mentioned a few times when this CD came out way back in the fall of 2007. For whatever reason I never got around to hearing it back then. I recently got a copy and my interest just came when they were put on a bill with Dirty Penny and Gypsy Pistoleros. Did I really think that just because they were slapped on a bill with two good bands that this meant they were also a fine band? No, not necessarily, but I was willing to take a chance on it because I am a sucker for glam when it' done right. It took all of a minute or so into the opener "Call me baby call me" to realize that this was going to be 80's style glam very similar to Pretty Boy Floyd and early Poison. The vocals of Kelly "Trash" Mendess sound very much like Steve "Sex" Summers of PBF. Actually according to the booklet Mendess played all the instruments and did all the lead vocals, but they had several people doing backing vocals. This is light, bubblegum type of hard rock and at times it's very repetitive. I think my biggest gripe is that it flat out did not rock as much as I had hoped. Part of this is the production is lacking some, but the hooks needed to be much more sharp. They glide into too many songs instead of ripping into them. Now that is all of the negative aspects, but there was definitely some parts to like here as well. Other than the consistent vocals I definitely liked the sense of control and how they managed the pace. Despite the oftentimes ridiculous and cliched lyrics, they still manage to make many of these songs fun just because they present it in such a confident fashion. The band knows how to produce some solid melodies and that is a major plus. There are several younger bands playing this type of music who are much more creative. However there is definitely enough here that taps into what is good about glam rock/hair metal. There is also no doubt that the S.E.X Department have their work cut out for them as well. The band is currently working on a new album. They have also done quite a bit of touring since the release of their debut. So hopefully they turn up the volume and take a few more chances the next time around.

http://www.myspace.com/sexdepartment