Allmusic gives The Richmond Sluts 4 stars and says of the Richmond Sluts that “they explored the glam-slam-thank-you-ma’am side of punk”. Jo-Ann Greene comments about their inventiveness on the album in ways that are a little beyond my capacity to figure out: “Since categorization is a necessity in this age of overspecification, punk rock will do nicely, but doesn’t begin to encompass just how cleverly the group churns other genres through its blender. The Sluts connect the dots between ’60s garage punk and old school ’70s style, then toss just a dash of new school into the mix. Variations on this recipe reverberate across the album, and answer a slew of niggling questions along the way. Ever wonder what the [New York] Dolls would sound like covered by a psychedelic band? Kept up at night trying to imagine a cross between the Cramps and the Velvet Underground? Curious what the result would be if a time warp sent Richard Hell circa 1978 a decade into the past? And what if Eddie & the Hotrods were really the Ramones with English accents? The Richmond Sluts answer all these brain teasers and more you’ve yet to even imagine, and they do it without an ounce of pretentiousness or braggadocio.”
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Great tracks on the Big Midnight album include the band’s single, “Doin’ All Right”. described by Creem magazine this way: “These denim-clad, sunglass-sporting, Rolling Stones-patched hombres from the Bay Area have crafted a great smoking-in-the-high-school-parking-lot vibe on this debut single.” “All the Dreams”, “Love for Sin” and “Spent Too Much” are slower, almost pensive numbers that are unlike anything on The Richmond Sluts; and “(You) Treat Me Too Bad” is another terrific number. As with the Richmond Sluts album though, every song is well crafted and well performed.
(June 2014)
