Inside Out & Backwards. The Incurables

The Incurables are almost around for longer than its members can remember. Despite this lengthy band existence this is the band's first full-length album. The Incurables are four friends who make music together when they can and have the greatest fun doing so. The enjoyment of making music together is showing all through the ten songs. Don't think for a second that quality is not an important issue for the band. The ten songs compete with the best in the garagepunk sector around.

In The Netherlands there is a tv show called 'The Battle of the Bands'. Cover bands, some around for years, some created for this show in the hope of winning the jackpot, compete to play in the largest venue bar stadiums of our country. This season, the third, there's a CCR cover band called 'Fortunate Sons'. The way they play the CCR songs, straightforward with no thrills of any kind, reminds me The Incurables.

The Incurables play their own songs but all straightforward without thrills and pills. The Detroit band plays like the first conveyor belt of the Ford Company ran in 1913. Things go forward without stopping and the band members add their part to become a whole. The energy is at a high level with no one stopping for a single second.

The opening song, 'When I Grow Up', can be seen as the mission statement of The Incurables. The title tells all. It's like my late dad told me decades ago, "are you still playing music"? Until he saw me play with the band one day and had to admit that my erstwhile band was pretty good. I can imagine the dads of this band saying the same thing decades ago and receiving an answer in 2024 in the form of this song. The only answer possible. Do what you like to do is what gets us through life a lot more pleasantly and making and listening to good music certainly contributes!

Press photo

For me this band comes out of nowhere. Yet instantly a connection was made. it only took a few songs to know that this is great fun and an album to listen to again and again (when the girlfriend is not at home, granted). Not because the album is extremely loud. Far from, it has to be played loud to make the best impression. This is when the energy it contains is released to the max. There's so much of it.

The drums and bass stay close together. The rhythm guitar closes all holes, the lead guitar jumps over the rest like in the child's game. And there are a lot of harmony vocals. Not of the intricate kind but effective ones, nailing the song. Ten songs long The Incurables=train runs down the track before it comes to a closure, until I put the album on again and chances are I will, often. This album and band took me by a very pleasant surprise.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Inside Out & Backwards here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/inside-out-backwards