Naked - Double Down - ROCKSPOSURE.....Be Heard

Album Review
Naked - "Double Down"

Article By Chris Brach

While we like to think we have a great handle on the music world at Rocksposure, occasionally we still run across something that blind sides us.  Sometimes it’s a little known rock fact, or the traumatic news of the breakup of one of our favorite bands, then there’s the email you open from a band signed to T-Bag Records called Naked with a lead singer named ‘The Muff’ that is tearing up the Finlandian Rock scene.  Yeah, like we saw that coming!

On my first visit to their website to see what Scandinavia had to offer in terms of Rocksposable Artists, there was no way to avoid being intrigued as to what adventure might lie ahead.  I mean after all, I am on the web and heading to a website involving the word ‘naked’, rarely does that end poorly.  One thing was evident the moment I made it to the site and heard their album “Double Down”: the gimmick of the name sparks your curiosity, but the music absolutely speaks for itself.

“Double Down” is 48 minutes of catchy, fun, fast paced rock.  The best way to describe Naked would be to classify them as a glam rock version of The Darkness, and damn does it work well.   The album is filled with blazing guitars, speedy drums, and great choruses.  Having played together since 2004, Naked has the image, sound, and appeal that could easily resurrect the glory days of Glam Rock. Lead guitarist Zack Shleidecker shreds a solo on just about every track, a few of which are absolute face-melters (Crank up “Ridin” or “Reset”, they’re hard to miss).  With Mr. Tikka pounding away on the drums and bass player Ilari rounding out the band, these guys are as polished as the come.

The first formal introduction you get to Naked is “Gotta Feeling”, which starts out with a guitar that feels straight out of the Southern Rock genre (American Southern Rock, I’m not sure what the Finland Southern Rock scene sounds like).  It quickly builds into the full speed ahead frenzied pace that makes up just about every track on “Double Down”.  Don’t let us mislead you, this might make it sound like every track on the album is cookie cutter, nothing is farther from the truth.  Naked proves early on that fast has a lot of flavors!

“Double Down” is packed with great songs that range from the power ballad “Lost Along the Way” to anthems like “One More Time” and “Back to Haunt You”.  The Muff sings “I’ll be Back to Haunt You”, and an hour later when the song is still stuck in your head, you realize that he wasn’t kidding.  This album is as fun lyrically as it is musically.  Do lyrics get better than the ones on “Break Me“ when The Muff  demands “Ride me, Ride me, Ride me like you own me”?

My favorite Glam Rock homage on the album is without a doubt “Powerblind”.  What starts as a slow looming song switches to an upbeat tune for a few seconds before heading into the truly intense chorus “It’s time to change your ways, because paybacks a bitch, You’re going Powerblind”.  Shleidecker’s lead guitar adds some great personality to the song as it is at times as prominent as the vocals.  The bands influences of Hanoi Rocks and Guns N Roses come through loud and clear when listening to “Powerblind”.  Hopefully, the stereo in my car is ready because this one is going to get some serious air play this Summer!

While you would have had to trek all the way to Finland to see the band or settle for simply purchasing “Double Down” (Which you should do anyway), the good news is they are heading Stateside to play some May shows in N.Y.  So breakout the hairspray and hang up the jean jacket because once you’ve rocked out to “Double Down”, it’s time to get Naked.  

"Double Down" is available now on iTunes (Click Here)