Kyle Thomas is the musician, King Tuff the character he plays. On this third album, the LA-based scruff is in autobiographical mood: “King Tuff is my name, I got madness in my brain” (‘Madness’); “I play the guitar like a demon from hell” (‘Demon From Hell’). His lyrics would be silly in sloppier hands, but Thomas is a master craftsman with pedigree – he played with J Mascis in metal band Witch and jams with fellow garage-rock titan Ty Segall, who drums on the title track here – and ‘Black Moon Spell’ is scuzzy, wired and bulging with Marc Bolan vocals, riffs Jimmy Page forgot to stick on any Zeppelin album and a bunch of outrageously catchy choruses. Big fun.
Tom Howard