STOOLS - R U Saved? LP

Limited edition of 300 copies.

Highly recommended.

The Motor City does it again, folks! From the birthplace of some of the most significant sounds of the past sixty-odd years, the Stools are certainly no exception to Detroit's musical legacy. The trio's self-professed "Nuggets vs. Killed By Death" sound is back in full effect on 'R U Saved?', which could be considered the first proper Stools full length after a slew of EPs and singles. Whether you're just hearing 'em for the first time or have been tuned in through past releases on Drunken Sailor, Goodbye Boozy, Third Man, and Big Neck - the Stools are at the top of their game here in 2023.

Twelve songs in twenty-three minutes, a blaze of bluesy punk damage born from a steady diet of the Stooges, Negative Approach, and the Gories with a dash of that far-gone Memphis sound in the mix. The Stools are a fine-tuned unit across 'R U Saved?' - an album chock full of replay value from the raw, unpretentious, and industrious Detroit trio.

"Detroit has never been short on head-punching punk rock, the type that makes no distinction between garage-rock and hardcore, and The Stools are one of that fine city’s recent exports of this particular strain. How can you argue with any of R U Saved?? They appear to be a younger band, roughly the age where you can destroy your body for twenty-four hours straight and bounce back the next day with nary a headache or ingrown toenail, yet the spirit of John Brannon is alive and well here, one of battle-scarred endurance. These songs call to mind Laughing Hyenas mixed with the cooler side of ’90s Estrus/Goner, taking equal heed from Bo Diddley and The Fix to craft their sound. The Stools are stompy even when they’re fast, making any scarf-wearing garage-rockers sound like Coke Zero by comparison, and they even manage to squeeze some hooks in there when necessary: the repeated chorus line of “falling out the window / and into the street” (“Into The Street”) feels a lot like that first Hank Wood album, which is a clear sign they’re doing something right. Mean and friendly at the same time, you know?" - YGR