Long Way Back to the Moon

It has become so common for bands long inactive to get back together to tour and release new music that it shouldn't really be a surprise that Galactic Cowboys have joined this list, yet I can't imagine many of the band's relatively small but dedicated fan base really expected much more from the band than the occasional reformations to play shows in their Texan homeland that have occurred over the last few years. But here we are. the band have reformed with the original line-up and have released the excellently-titled Long Way Back To The Moon.

If the band are known at all by the masses it will be for their two major label albums in the early 1990's; their debut self-titled album is a classic and in my opinion they have yet to better it, whilst 1993's Space In Your Face has its moments, even though it is overly self-indulgent and full of slightly annoying gimmicks. Sound-wise, the band mash up elements of traditional metal, psych, powerpop, thrash, funk and prog, layering it all with trademark vocal harmonies that really lift the songs to another place. These first two releases were produced by Sam Taylor, known for his work with Kings X, and indeed the two bands are often closely compared, although these comparisons are often over-egged in my opinion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the variety and breadth of the band's music, it was a hard sell in the increasingly grunge-dominated era and nobody can really have been surprised when they were dropped. Guitarist Dane Sonnier left, to be replaced by Wally Farkas, and the band went on to release four albums for Metal Blade, to diminishing commercial returns. It's a shame these are often overlooked, as they contain some excellent material. Still it can have been no real surprise when the Cowboys called it a day after the release of 2000's patchy and unfocussed Let It Go.

Thankfully the band seem re-energised on this comeback album. Rather than knocking listeners for six from the off, the lead-off track, In The Clouds, in instead a mid-paced slow burner, building to a typically catchy and harmony-laden chorus. The band take their time on some drawn out instrumental sections; Internal Masquerade, in contrast, is short and snappy, with a driving rhythm. The rest of the album showcases many facets of the band's sound; Zombies is a full-on thrash-out in the verses, with a more reflective chorus; there's a bit of the punk spirit to the shouted choruses of Next Joke; Drama is a steadier, more contemplative piece, whilst the title track is a lush, psychedelia-tinged mid-tempo ballad with its references to common Cowboy's lyrical standbys such as the fabled Ranch on Mars. It has to be said not all of the material is of the same quality as these songs; Blood In My Eye has a riff that seems to be very similar to Pantera's walk and seems rather slight, whilst Hate Me is a rather bland and aimless thrashy affair. However, the band's rekindled energy and enthusiasm

Lead vocalist Ben Huggins sounds in good voice; his strident voice is more in the classic rock singer mode than bassist Monty Colvin; the latter's more powerpop-inspired voice is largely used for backing and harmony here, whereas he took the lead on many of the band's late 90's releases (the title track here being one of the exceptions). Musically, as usual, melody is king; the band don't go in for showy solo's, and the songs are all the better for it. Some of the rather annoying sound collages and messing around that sometimes occur on Cowboys albums are also thankfully largely absent here. The production is not as lush as on the first two albums, but is cleaner and punchier than on the Metal Blade releases, which generally had a muddier sound.

Overall, this is a great and unexpected return by Galactic Cowboys. It's a compliment to say that when you put the disc on it's as if they've never been away, so distinct is their sound. Hopefully this isn't a one-off, and we'll see more releases from these intergalactic travellers.