Thee Headcoats The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm ‘n’ Beat Vernacular LP
THEE HEADCOATS return with The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm ‘n’ Beat Vernacular, their first full-length since the surprise comeback of 2023’s Irregularis, and it’s a significant step up. Twelve tracks recorded in 2024 and released in sync with THEE HEADCOATEES’ Man-Trap album, this one hits harder and more consistently than its predecessor, with the whole thing sounding sharper and more assured without losing any of that analog haze that keeps one foot planted firmly in 1964. If you’ve ever wondered what so many garage revival acts are reaching for when they pick up a guitar, this is the answer, with the difference being that THEE HEADCOATS actually get there while everyone else is still perfecting their moptop. The album opens with the charging “And the Band Played Johnny B. Goode,” an unhinged new recording of “Sally Sensation” is a highlight, and the magnificently titled “The Friends of the Buff Midway Fanciers Association” sounds like a party that started without you. Is there a more emblematic band in this whole scene? Genuinely hard to argue otherwise.