HARDWARES

The zone hasn’t changed, but the usefulness is there, Quo providing just enough diversion among lots of immediate, consumable songs. So what is that zone? Well, like the (slightly better?) Heavy Traffic, the idea is a boogie core, sometimes mildly aggressive (but never like Big Fat Mama), often poppy but electric enough, with a smattering of shuffle and blues, and a few experiments with practically no boogie in the engine room. God luv ‘em though, search hard enough, permute endlessly, and building things on a boogie can result in wonderful weirdness like ‘My Little Heartbreaker, or welcome roots rockers like ‘Bad News’. Could do without the droopy Gary Moore blues of ‘Electric Arena’ but yeah, with 14 songs, there’s a pile of light headbanging fun to be had – and you just know that live, these giddy tracks leap off the stage and plant a big bear hug.