Anita Squeeze 2022
Anita Squeeze
Erstwhile WARRANT string-wringer turns into a warbler to wire his wares around the world.
ANITA SQUEEZE may proudly belong to the same line of dignified ladies as ALICE COOPER, MOLLY HATCHET and LIZZY BORDEN, but Josh Lewis’ highly strung vocals will hardly let the listener hear right away that there’s an entire ensemble behind this EP – at least not before its centerpiece is aired. A part of Hollywood glam metal history, the guitarist hasn’t played too prominent a role over the last decades, despite his perpetual performances with various bands, before the eventually finally decided to move his career forward by stepping up to the microphone and belting out freshly written songs himself. The timing for such a step was perfect. as the songs in question are full of gusto and swagger which the post-pandemic world needs.
So while it’s the final number on offer, “Startin’ All Over Again” – where acoustic edge is married to electric riff in a patinated, albeit tasty, ’70s-tinged way – that lays the band’s agenda on the line and allows them to not only bid farewell with “Adios” and “Auf wiedersehen” but also vent off their existential angst, the equally infectious opener “Throw Me A Line” flaunts a funky formula and muscular six-string solo with a total abandon and fills Lewis’ voice with desperate femininity, making one think there’s a new rock gal on the block. The delicate balladry of the piano-rippled “Don’t Let Your Lovin’ Go Bad” should suggest as much, the cut’s chorus harmonies revealing a country influence on the quartet, until they push of “Weepin’ Mary” to the fore and show the whole punch of Lex Wolfe’s bass and Brent Terry’s drums, supported by the seductive roar Mark Brown’s Hammond, only to infuse “What Part About Love (Don’t You Understand)” with prog-tinctured glimmer and leave the grinning listener beg for a lengthier stroll down the Sunset Strip.
*****
