The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm 'N' Beat Vernacular

You have to be a pretty big Billy Childish fan to notice the subtle differences between his many musical projects (and there are plenty of them), but they really are there if youre paying attention. His earlier groups, like the Pop Rivets and Thee Mighty Caesars, tended to be musically gritty but lyrically playful, while he was more willing to explore the darker side of his imagination in his blues-oriented solo recordings and latter-day acts such as the Musicians of the British Empire and CTMF. In 2022, Childish reunited one of his most prolific combos, Thee Headcoats (initially active from 1988 to 2000) to pay homage to one of his musical heroes, Don Craine of the Downliners Sect, and they cut an album, Irregularis (The Great Hiatus), that arrived in 2023. Two years later (practically a lifetime by Childishs standards), hes brought Thee Headcoats back to the studio, and 2025s The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm n Beat Vernacular feels like it has its feet in two different eras of his work. With the exception of a few numbers like "The Friends of the Buff Medways Fanciers Association" (a tip of the hat to yet another Childish group) and "Sally Sensation" (a study of a woman who has toyed with his heart) and covers of Bo Diddley ("Dearest Darling") and Slim Harpo ("Got Love If You Want It"), The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm n Beat Vernacular reflects the less charitable side of his nature, and "Modern Terms of Abuse," "A Common Disease," and "If People Dont Like It (It Must Be Good)" drip with lyrical cynicism, reinforced by the powerful sneer of his Kentish accent. Musically, however, this LP sounds like classic Headcoats; Childish can still mix garage rock growl, Beat-era punch, and R&B swagger like the master he truly is, and his tough, elemental guitar playing never fails to make the dancefloor shake. Bassist Johnny Johnson and drummer Bruce Brand are one of Billys most reliable and indefatigable rhythm sections, and they work like a charm on these tracks, tight enough to rock decisively and loose enough to make it fun. So if you want Relatively Happy Billy Childish or Bitter, Observant Billy Childish, both are present and accounted for on The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm n Beat Vernacular, and either way its the work of a man who has been making full-on, no-frills rock & roll since 1979 and is not only not short on ideas or energy, but remains of the U.K.s most satisfying natural resources. Maybe he isnt always happy, but The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm n Beat Vernacular will make you crack a big smile and stomp your feet. ~ Mark Deming