Merge (2014)
For their April release, Merge went back to the split 7" format after a brief one month departure. The two bands they brought together were Destroyer and King Kahn & The Shrines.
I was particularly excited about Destroyer. I was a big fan of their earlier releases, particularly Streethawk: A Seduction. But as the years went on, Destroyer got a bit weirder and I haven't really been keeping tabs on them as much. I figured that being able to check out a recent song might show me if they are worth giving another shot. Well, after this entry into the singles club, I think I've made the right choice paying them no mind as of late. As the title may suggest, "Te Recuerdo Amanda" is completely in Spanish. While that's not really a deal breaker, the fact that the song is slow, quiet, boring and kind of goes nowhere is. It just seems like such a throwaway.
King Khan & The Shrines, on the other hand, really brought their A game to the record. Even though it's a Saints cover, the King Kahn version of "Know Your Product" blasts out of the gate with a huge horn section, organ and driving bass. It's a real rhythm and blues review that pays homage to the original, but is a pretty spectacular stand along track for King Khan. It's part Rocket From The Crypt, part Blues Brothers and part soundtrack to a car chase. As bad as the Destroyer side is, the King Khan & The Shrines side more than makes up for it. I've been lukewarm about King Khan records in the past, maybe it's time to give him another chance if his take on this song is anything to go by.
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