Mighty Quinn 2018
Mighty Quinn & The Oakland Ronin
Jumping queues and makin’ haste, Californian artist goes for the jugular.
A dozen pieces in thirty-three minutes: that’s how an album must run for maximum impact, and that’s how Quinn Walker struts his stuff. The singer’s come a long way since 2010, when “My Road” – the title track from Mighty Quinn’s debut EP – was aired in the “Scrubs” series, and dropped a few releases along the way, yet this one cherry-picks his most impressive moments and has some of those remixed for a smooth, ninja-style ride.
It can’t get any smoother than the sweet rumble of “The Nu Punks” where guitarist Geoff Saba, bassist Andrew Muhoberac and drummer Joel Davidson support Quinn instrumentally and spur him vocally, so there should be bumpy bliss further down the road, but the toast leading into “Meet The Ronin” to get twang on track makes the stumble quite delicious. With jazzy deviations among the barrage of expletives exposing social ills on “BFF” and other riff-ruffled, heavy missives, Mighty and his combo weave graffiti-like urban tales which venture beyond spiky agenda to let the bouncy “Town” sprinkle glitter all over such a vista.
Of course, aggro is the main c(o)urse here, although it’s so hilariously theatrical on “Rebel” that a self-critical smile would be unavoidable, while “Love vs Bankers” directs the grit to where the righteous sneer should belong. This is why “L’Oakland” feels so evil, approaching metal and leaving “Mickey Got Married” to fight in the folk-informed, traditional punk corner of the world. This album packs a powerful punch, and if you’re ready for a sparring to prove your ability to join the battle, listen in.
****1/4
