I picked this up at the Rough Trade store in New York City a few weeks back. I wasn’t familiar with these 80s Dutch rockers, but after listening to a few samples online I figured it was worth taking a flyer on their debut.
Stylistically Claw Boys Claw play rock, but it’s hard to leave it at that. There are elements of garage, but also… stranger things afoot. They cover the song “Venus”, originally a 1970 #1 hit in the US for Shocking Blue, then again reaching #1 in 1986 by Bananarama, and their version is… guaranteed never to make it to #1? It’s slowed down with surf guitar and a mock-crooning vocal delivery, like some twisted song from a David Lynch movie being played at the wrong speed. In fact there’s a slight undercurrent of surf throughout Shocking Shades of Claw Boys Claw, along with maybe shades of rockabilly, a dose of proto-grunge, and even swing drumming. It’s hard to put into words. But that’s also the beauty of it. Because Shocking Shades of Claw Boys Claw doesn’t really sound like anything else.
Shocking Shades of Claw Boys Claw is available on a streaming service near you, so give it a listen. The record can be had for a fairly reasonable price as well, though it looks to be hard to find on offer from a US seller so you’ll need to keep your eyes open if you’re in the States to avoid those crazy international shipping rates.