Anyone who has followed
the Supersuckers' recording career since they first nailed their sound in the studio on 1994's
La Mano Cornuda could accurately say that the band is in a rut in the year 2020. They are incapable of surprising anyone, not even themselves, on
Play That Rock N' Roll, another set of anthems celebrating hard partying, casual sex, foolish behavior, and loud, guitar-based rock & roll. How behind the times is this album? The title track devotes a verse each to the joys of seeing
the Ramones and
Motörhead on-stage, two bands that, while inarguably great, have been quite literally dead for years. That said, it's obvious that
the Supersuckers are perfectly happy to be in their particular rut: this is what they love and what they do, and they've been roaring down this lost highway too long to turn back now. 2018's Suck It lacked enough inspiration to camouflage the absence of fresh thinking, but 2020's
Play That Rock N' Roll is just energetic and funny enough to get over and entertain. Bassist, singer, and fearless leader
Eddie Spaghetti is still wailing hard and knows how to write quality riffage and amusingly smart-ass lyrics, guitarist Marty Chandler lays out a thick layer of six-string bombast, and drummer Captain Von Streicher knows how to make this beast move fast and true.
The Supersuckers are smart enough to know what works for them: they're like a diner that serves one really good sandwich instead of making a dozen that are mediocre, and by the end of this set, it's easy to forget this is a band following a formula who get caught up in the stampede.
The Supersuckers aren't going anywhere, but this also means you know just where they are, and if this recipe is old,
Play That Rock N' Roll serves it fresh off the grill with the cheese still melty, and danged if it doesn't still taste pretty good. ~ Mark Deming