Band : Cellophane Suckers
Album title : One In A zoo
Label : High Noon Records
Distributor : Sonic Rendezvous
Release date : 03/12/2010
Release : CD

Darn...while listening to the album, I was looking for some info on this German (they're from Paffrath, Küchenberg, and Hand, all in the Nordrhein-Westfalen area, and are based in Köln, with their singing living in Berlin) Garage Rock/Punk act on the Internet, and seeing the covers of their previous albums I could've sworn I already had at least one album by this band. Bu no...nix, nada, null!

Still, it was possible, because over the last 10 years I've bought quite a few albums (mostly on vinyl) in the genre from a friend with a small record label & distro...and Cellophane Suckers (consisting of singer Sven Wixner, bassist/ backing singer Jan, guitarists Mattes and Hauke, and drummer/ occasional keyboardist Chris – originally they also had an organ/ keyboard player named Lyle, but he quit early 2009) have been around since 1993, releasing their debut LP Burning Miss City in 1996. Since then, the band has not only produced a series of releases [in order of release the debut album was followed by the 7-inch single Loving You and the 7-inch EP Let's Rock (a split release with The Bumpers) in 1997, the Hell Yeah LP/CD and Schweinhund 7-inch single in 1998, 1999's Been In Love 7-inch single, 2000's Solution Prostitution 7-inch single, 2001's CD/LP Too Much Temptation, 2002's Want A Man 7-inch single, 2004's CD/LP Can't Say No, and 2007's LP-only Bonjour Mon Capitaine] with One In A Zoo being their 6th full-length, but they've also gotten 'emselves quite a reputation in their home area, gigging and touring with the likes of Dirtys, New Bomb Turks, Onyas, Egos, Hives, Zeke, Hellacopters, Turbonegro, Sonny Vincent, Murder City Devils, Gluecifer, and many more.

After their keyboardist's departure, the band started the writing process of their new album, and apparently it seems important in the history of the band that they toured France in November 2009. You see, the French public liked the band that much, that they thanked 'em by offering the guys lavish quantities of their national beverage. Since then, the Suckers have become avid lovers of good red wine...which is said (or at least so the band would have it) to stimulate creativity!

Whatever, okay?! Any story is good to sell your albums these days, I suppose...although lovers of raw but good (great lead runs) twin guitar Garage Rock with an anno 1969-1972 Punky pace and flavour and a very occasional moody bit of organ should feel attracted by the music of CS alone! Here and there (“Destroyed”, Life Ain't Easy”) you get a strong Stooges reminiscence (I could cite quite a few others, and not necessarily of the same era, but they are the first that come to mind), but the album shows a nice diversity as well...and the singer(s) is (/are) absolutely accent-free, which is a huge bonus! But...without trying further attempts to elucidate, why don't I simply direct you to (www.) myspace.com/cellophanesuckers, where you can listen to 3 of the 11 songs on One In A Zoo, as well as 9 older songs? Good news for the vinyl freaks among us, as the album is also available on your favourite music carrier. You may have to hurry to get a copy though.

Oh, and by the way, High Noon Records has just (Jan.25) re-issued Cellophane Suckers' 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums, on both CD and LP!!!

89/100

Tony.