Hollywood Cowboys

Hollywood Cowboys is a work on which Quiet Riot sounds its bright hard-rock feel straight and powerfully as the current band. Made after overcoming the great tragedy of the passing of the flagship Kevin DuBrow, around drummer Frankie Banali and welcoming the new vocalist Jizzy Pearl. Thick guitar riffs, bouncing beats and instantly hummable choruses line up, and the songs prioritize above all the pleasure of moving the body the moment they sound from the speakers, over complex reasoning. From the powerful drive of the opener “Don’t Call It Love” and the aggression of “In the Blood” to the drama of “Heartbreak City,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “The Devil That You Know” and “Roll On” convey the band’s vigor. Rather than merely quoting the 1980s fame, it naturally reuses the sure techniques cultivated in that era. In light rockers, the guitar chopping and vocal momentum mesh, and in slower songs an American-hard openness and melancholy emerge. The playing, without over-decorating, has each part serve to maximize the songs’ hooks. Using nostalgia as an entry while the current lineup pushes the songs forward in its own words, it is an unpretentious, powerful rock-and-roll work.