It might seem a little bit strange reviewing a tie in acoustic version of a debut album before the album itself (which will probably get a review here soon). but i felt that this acoustic album is far better than the very good blast of rock n roll that is the actual debut.You see the title is actually a bit misleading, it may be unplugged but the electronic backing that starts off this version of 'Love Rocket' obviously isn't. It's an intriguing mix that gets the record off to a great start. From here on the vibe is bluesy. The stripped back sound suits the blues cliche's* of the lyrics and these new versions sound much darker and sleazier than the originals. I love the blues and NKS play it well.
Elsewhere we get the new versions of tracks like 'Hypocrite' or 'Snakecharmer' which are much more reggae, reggae is an influence in the bands usual sound, but normally it doesn't go much further than just the style of guitar playing. Yet here the band are in full reggae mode, and like with the blues they do it well. 'I ain't got a chick' for example is a good example of the classic being broke/girl problems song and the acoustic style brings out the bluesy nature of these lyrics and seeing as its a bit slower, you can listen to whats being said a bit more. For Rock n Roll Thrills get the standard album, yet for something that's more of a grower that rewards repeated listens and works on a sunny day, get this.
I actually prefer the acoustic versions of these songs, if it wasn't for that fact that the plugged in sound works so well live, i'd say that New Killer Shoes should make this their default sound.
7/10
*Blues Cliches are never a bad thing
https://soundcloud.com/newkillershoes/sets/i-aint-even-plugged-in
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