There's something slightly tongue-in-cheek about why Serby has called his band here The Latest Scam, as over a series of album He has given us honky-tonk, roots rock and acoustic based music. He has recently also been playing bass in the band Heymaker. He has credited Rockpile - The Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds' band - with the inspiration to make this roots rock/beat country double album. Which is part British Invasion, part twang but always vibrant and hook filled. Song like Amnesia and When Couples Fall In Love are testimony to that. Over the twenty tracks that feeling is reinforced. Some are closer to a country feel than others but whatever direction Serby takes the song he does it with conviction.
The album was produced by West Coast veteran Edward Tree who is also the lead guitarist here. Tree is accomplished at both tasks and is joined by former Hacienda Brothers drummer Dale Daniel and bassist Gregory Boaz, who played with Dave Alvin amongst others. A top notch band who sure sound like it here.
The diverse nature of the songs is underlined by the electric sitar of You're Bored or the ballads I'll Meet You There and Better With My Hands, the Sixties sounding I Still Miss You or the twangy Everybody Loves A Fool and Gospel Truth. Serby continues to explore the many aspects of his muse and he has shown himself to be a versatile and prolific writer who, more than anything, is concerned with getting it right and making music that he is proud of.
Never more so than here with a set of songs played with a sense of fun that seems imbedded into the heart of the music. The skill is obvious and the sound infectious especially to anyone who remembers Rockpile's similar energy and enterprise. But this is not music that just looks back, rather it offers a path that can be further explored. There is no sham in this scam which provides much more than a few seconds of pleasure.