The Mooches know a thing or two about soundtracking a night out on the tiles. On any given night, you can find them somewhere in London doing what they do best: Making hearts ache and arses shake.
“Skinhead” is no exception. A potent amalgamation of psychedelic rock, indie, ska, classic rock, and something else entirely, it’s a real chameleon of a tune.
The opening keyboard tone reminds us of “Heads Will Roll” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It blends with Jakob’s beautiful, distinctive slide guitar and a rhythm section consisting of a bare, basic backbeat and a disciplined, almost imperceptible bass.
It builds slowly, taking its time enjoying spreading out in front of you, like a house cat bathing in the sunshine on the carpet. The intro lasts more than a minute, and as Bobby Mooch’s South London accent cuts through the tapestry of sound, we’re introduced to the song’s titular anti-hero.
Essentially, the song is an ode to not giving a fuck. In due course, Skinhead skanks into full view and bursts into life. The drum beat shifts, the guitar gets dirty, and the vocals become larger, bolstered by many and varied backing vocalists. Over the course of its duration, it becomes wild, unhinged,d and full of life. It’s imbued with a sense of joy, freedom, and abandon, just like their gigs. See them if you can.
We’ve previously waxed lyrical about The Mooches place in the lineage of Great British Songwriters, and today we double down on that. We’re reminded of Ray Davies, Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner, and Paul Weller in the way Bob paints everyday pictures so vividly. With the other six Mooches behind him, the future certainly looks bright for this London septet.
Take a listen to “Skinhead” below.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
