Presenting their electrifying, rapturous and partly raw sonic imprint, Sons Of Racketeers emerge from Belgium as ghosts of the past, evoking drunk pirates, Irish folklore and a healthy amount of distorted guitars. Such a quirky formula makes the Ghent-based group a unique find, a creative entity that has developed a way forward among a diverse pool of influences. Punk is in there quite boldly, as is Irish folk. Accordion and guitar perfectly co-exist in a strange marriage of intents.
‘Beat the Press Gang’ is the strikingly playful yet anthemic single that brings Sons Of Racketeers to our attention. In it, we can fully appreciate the band’s wide range of action, with the most elegantly folk intro followed up by strikingly punk verses and monumentally vibrant choruses. Delving behind the historical imagery behind the song, the group explains: “It’s about how the Old English Navy would send a Military Party out to coerce, draft, or kidnap ordinary men into becoming sailors, when there were not enough men to attend the ships”.
Sons Of Racketeers are David on accordion and vocals, Andrew on guitar and songwriting, Michael on guitar and vocals, Maarten on bass, Danny on drums, and Klaar on violin. Overall, the project is incredibly peculiar, and it’s also curious how such an Irish and English-driven ethos drew interest in Belgium.
Recommended! Discover ‘Beat the Press Gang’ on Spotify:
