On
Refried Dreams,
Cheater Slicks dial the distortion down a notch and up the blues quotient considerably -- in other words, less garagey than earlier recordings, but still rockin', still (quasi-) psychedelic. Their take on
Lee Hazlewood's "Think I'm Coming Down," for instance -- a highlight of the set -- sounds like a cross between
Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and
Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man." And it may not be unintentional, as the Slicks certainly know their rock history -- their entire discography is a testament to that premise. "Think I'm Coming Down" probably wouldn't have worked as well on any of their previous releases, but then they're now sounding more like
the Rolling Stones -- by way of
Royal Trux -- than
the Scientists (or
the Cramps).
Refried Dreams is one of their more accomplished efforts and benefits from the tasteful addition of saxophone to some of the songs. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy