Rob Moss And Skin-Tight Skin: Records
(Rock On Records)
CD | DL
Boston based Rob Moss And Skin-Tight Skin explode back into action with their third album which is succinctly titled Records. And with more than a nod back to the Washington DC punk scene in which Rob Moss made his first foray into the music scene, there is little doubt that this new album pays homage to the likes of the New York Dolls, Stooges and Dead Boys who helped shape those early years.
Rob Moss is a shining example of how an initial spark created by an early youthful foray into the music business can be reignited at any time, even without any pre-ordained plan. Going right back to his high school days in 1979, Rob started writing songs with his friend Brian Gay and formed a band which eventually became Artificial Peace, making a name for themselves on the local hardcore scene in Washington DC and majoring on tight, fast and aggressive songs. After they broke up, Rob played bass with Government Issue for a short time before a move away to continue college in Boston effectively ended his musical aspirations at that time.
Fast forward to around 2016 and Rob finally picked up a guitar again and started playing around with some old covers of songs by the likes of Slade and Alice Cooper. This in itself seemed to inspire him to reconnect with his songwriting, taking strong influences from those early formative days which fuelled the punk revolution, with rock’n’roll, glam and garage being at the very heart of the sound he was formulating. All of this finally crystallised into his aptly entitled debut album We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll, released in 2020 just after the start of the pandemic and a follow-up album Now With More Records, released in 2022. And now, a further 2 years on, we get his third album, Records.
Aside from the clearly defined sonic ambience which takes us back to the musical landscapes of New York and Detroit back in the early 70’s and maybe even beyond, the title of the new album, Records, also invokes a strong sense of nostalgia. It rekindles a time when commercial radio had very little to stimulate those with a more creative mind, something which could be far more inspired by a visit to your local independent record store to fuel the imagination and reach much further into the primal depths of our rich musical heritage. Little doubt that in those richly inspired times, thumbing through racks and racks of records could start you on a journey to places you didn’t even know existed as the seeds were being sown for all that was to follow.
Records features the core band of Rob Moss on vocals and rhythm guitars, Tom McNally on bass, backing vocals and Hammond C3 organ and Danny Frankel on drums and percussion. As for lead guitar, Rob has continued his approach of having a different player on each track, reaching out to friends and beyond based on his view as to who could put their own stamp on each song in recognition of their own style and influences. And given this, what is remarkable about Records is that has such a seamless and cohesive feel as you leap through this uplifting rock’n’roll journey.
For those who crave the detail, the guitarists featured on Records are Anthony Piazza (Sister Ex, Winter Sect), Arthur Alexander (The Poppees, Sorrows), Charles Hansen (Justine and The Unclean), Clive Wright (Broken English, Cock Robin), Curt Florczak (Hammered Saint, BadTerms), Dan Kopko (WATTS, The Shang Hi Los), Paul Armstrong (The Flashcubes, 1.4.5), Pedro Sjosted (Muck and the Mires), Randy Klawon (The Choir, Cyrus Erie), Robbi Robb (Asylum Kids, Tribe After Tribe), and Tony Reed (Mos Generator).
The album explodes into life with the rampant power-pop energy of We Just Don’t Know which delves into the world of misinformation, something which continues to be fuelled by conspiracy theories and political influence. Hey You (We’re Sick of You) follows on as a raging rock’n’roll torrent infused with the class and style of Johnny Thunders and the swagger and bravado of Iggy. And with lines like “I bet you see your reflection in a brick wall” it’s also a very pointed dig on celebrities getting involved in politics and other fields that they have no expertise in, merely as a vehicle for furthering their own status. Yes, we all know who many of them are!
You And Time reminds us in no uncertain terms about the need to prioritise the important people in our lives and not getting caught up in trivial matters, with a Manics style melodic interplay wrapping around Rob’s sincerely delivered vocals. Meanwhile, the post-punk vibes of The World (Is A Playground), on which Jen D’Angora shares lead vocals with Rob, take a more positive view on life before you realise its venturing into a world of gothic imagery which leave you somewhat wrapped up in a supernatural world.
The chugging riffs and fractured rhythms of I Got Lots Of Problems take us into a world of denial, referencing those who blame others for their own problems, with Rob’s dark vocals having a real Iggy vibe, even through the spoken word section mid-song. The wild excesses of Basement Party simply ooze attitude as the spirit of Stiv and The Dead Boys looms large overhead as it also does throughout the garage rocker, Right Hook, which follows.
The hard driving In the Canebrake is enveloped in sinister overtones as it tells the story of some kids stumbling upon and reporting a dead body, and then being framed for murder. And there is no let up to the relentless rock’n’roll vibe as The Next Time (I See You) takes us through a mire of difficult relationships and Ink Blue Smoke Again ventures into a world which steps away from all sense of reality.
What Happened (To The Rock ‘n’ Roll)? is driven along by storming rhythms and dynamic guitar solos within a song which targets the current mainstream music business. It takes a swipe at commercial radio who on the whole seem to have little or no room for the grass roots music scene, thereby stifling some of the most creative forces that are trying to shape the future. The album then closes with We Just Don’t Dub, a dub version of We Just Don’t Know which pays due homage towards the influence of Generation X’s Wild Dub and the dub mix of The Magnificent by The Professionals.
As Rob sings “What happened to the sound we held so dear?” you only have to listen to Records once to appreciate that it’s a collection of songs which envelops such a huge musical legacy with a magnificent blend of punk, rock’n’roll and garage. It’s the kind of sound that so many of us grew up with in our formative years and exactly the sort that inspired Rob to form a band in the first place back in 1979.
With clear reference points back to bands like the New York Dolls, The Stooges and Dead Boys, whilst also illuminating these sounds with a modern-day twist, this album might just provide the same inspiration for those listening to it now, thereby carrying forward that enormous legacy well into the future.
You can buy the album here.
You can find Rob Moss And Skin-Tight Skin on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.
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