On the invitation of our friend Martin Bunn (aka Old Bill) who was running the PA system, we went to a festival being held in a park behind a Sikh Gurdwara in Bilston (oh the glamour). I have no recollection of who else was on the bill that day but I clearly remember a 4-piece indie-rock looking outfit shuffling out onto the stage. They were fronted by a petite blonde girl who introduced them in a quiet Scottish accent. I have a thing about girl singers, Natalie Merchant, Gladys Knight, Siouxsie, Streisand, Emmylou Harris among many others. There is also something very powerful about a woman leading a band of men, so I was immediately intrigued.
They started playing and there was nothing shuffling or quiet about them from that moment on. The boys in the band beat out big, fat Crazy Horse-ish songs and that petite girl singer (who I’ve since come to know as Monica Queen) unleashed a voice and a set of melodies that kept me transfixed for their entire performance. Now you may remember that we’ve met Monica Queen before when we looked at her solo album “Stop That Girl” back in March (if you missed that here you go https://www.whiterabbitrecords.co.uk/blog/read_205541/20234-albums-thing-286-monica-queen-stop-that-girl.html). I went out and bought “Rifferama” the very next day and have always wondered why on earth Thrum aren’t remembered as Indie legends. If nothing else, in my mind, Monica Queen’s voice puts her right up there with the ladies I mentioned earlier.
“Rifferama” starts as it means to continue with a dramatic distorted intro to “Here I Am” which then bursts into life with big strummed chords and a screeching riff guitar to introduce Monica Queen’s incredible voice. By the time she gets to the second chorus she’s in full flow and it’s a joy to listen to. By songs end she’s coming on a little bit full throated Lulu which is never a bad thing. Man alive I love this band.
“So Glad” lulls you into a state of bliss with gently strummed chords before the drums batter you back and Monica opens with a beautiful “All I can see, It’s gotta make me believe”. The 2 line chorus is a wonder with Monica wrapping her vocal around the word “sad” in some serious gymnastics. These are basically relationship songs but the way they are delivered makes you forget the singers troubles in the lyrics because of that voice, which gets another serious workout on side 1’s closer “Lullaby II”.
Side 2 begins with some serious riffage as title track “Rifferama” lets the guitars loose in a way that Mr. Young and the ‘orse would most certainly approve of. It doesn’t let up, “Purify” is the equal of any song on this record and that’s followed by the utterly wonderful “Won’t Be Long” which Monica opens by pleading “Oh God, Oh God…” before settling into a gentle groove and reaching a crescendo as it draws to an end…did I mention I love this band ?
It’s also an album that at no point outstays its welcome, less than 45 minutes and it’s all done and dusted. It leaves you wanting more which in my book is more important than packing too much in and boring your audience. The original release of the album came with a bonus one-sided 7” single containing a cover of Neil Young’s “Hold Back The Tears” (from “American Stars ’n’ Bars”), most appropriate really. Monica Queen and Thrum guitarist Johnny Smillie are still working together, see the earlier piece on Monica’s solo album. There is nothing I don’t love about this record, great female singer, crunching fat guitars and great tunes. Thrum shoulda been big.
Rifferama - https://youtu.be/56UTf6HkXcQ?si=s8Evi50X3eo-Cf8h
PS…if you’re reading this and know this album, but only on CD, and you’re thinking he’s got the track listing utterly screwed up, no I haven’t…for some reason the LP and CD feature completely different running orders, the LP version begins with “Here I Am” and not “Rifferama” which the CD begins with…glad we cleared that up…
