You may have thought you’d figured out Chappo during their previous incarnation as alien-fighting, acid-eating, hard-rocking cowboys (the ‘Plastique Universe’ EP)… but as it turns out, this was only the first stop on their intergalactic tour. For those of you confused by this last statement, you’ve got some catching up to do, and now is a good time to do it.
The band’s debut LP ‘Moonwater’ makes their mission abundantly clear: these guys are here to deliver a serious rock record, for people who desperately need one. And it’s not just that they can handle the psych freakout forms usually associated with this town in album openers ‘What are You Kids On?’ and ‘Explode" (or of course, the Apple commercial-worthy ‘Come Home’).’ Fun as those songs are… they can also pull off a fairly convincing stompin’ ritual track on ‘Native Savage,’ which boldly pairs foot stomps with cold-blooded whistlin…’ not an easy thing to do.
It’s all a testament to how bold singer Alex Chappo’s voice is… this guy can hold on to you like Morrison, then break into screaming Omar Rodrigeuz-Lopez chants at breakneck pace. Chappo may have returned to our galaxy… but it doesn’t look like it’ll be the same again.
See the band when they celebrate the record release at Dominion on May 15. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)