The Hillbilly Moon Explosion: “Back In Time” (2024) CD Review

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion is a fantastic rockabilly band mixing country, rock, surf, punk, blues and jazz elements into their sound to great effect. Led by the founding duo of Oliver Baroni and Emanuela Hutter, these guys are based in Switzerland, and have been putting out great albums for more than twenty years. The band is made up of Emanuela Hutter on vocals and rhythm guitar, Oliver Baroni on vocals and bass, Duncan James on lead guitar, and Sylvain Petite on drums. In 2022, Emanuela Hutter and Oliver Baroni joined Dale Watson on a cover of “Act Naturally” included on his Jukebox Fury album, which was released by Cleopatra Records. Now Cleopatra has put out the U.S. release of the band’s latest album, Back In Time. This disc features mostly original material, with both Hutter and Baroni contributing tracks. There are some guests joining the group on certain tracks.

This album gets off to a strong start with “Sometimes Late At Night,” which has something of a punk pop vibe, with moments of great surf guitar. This one was written by Emanuela Hutter, and she sings lead on it. There is a delicious power to her delivery. “He finally left and never even said goodbye/She always said she’d never love another man/Sometimes late at night/I still hear them in my sleep.” That’s followed by “Summerlove,” which has a cool, somewhat haunting vibe from its start. Emanuela Hutter’s vocals are beautiful and eerie, like a spirit who dances in the human realm but could slip from view at any moment. Just listen to the way she delivers these lines: “Make me love/Make me shine and smile/All you deserve and desire/I’ll give you back in time.” It is the first of the album’s tracks to include the title in its lyrics, but not the last. This song was written by Emanuela Hutter and Oliver Baroni. Adam “Ditch” Kurtz and Mickey Raphael deliver some wonderful work on pedal steel and harmonica respectively. And this track features some really nice work by Miguel Melgoza on percussion. “Take my light, take my darkness too.” What a fantastic song!

“Knocked Down” comes on with a great dark burst of sound, and then gets into a cool rhythm. Oliver Baroni wrote this one, and sings lead on it. “Darkness falls when the day begins/I want to get out but it will do me in/And I’m just so lonesome all the time.” This track mentions Alfred Hitchcock in the line “Die in black and white like a Hitchcock star,” and it features some ethereal, haunting backing vocal work by Emanuela Hutter. Everything about this track is cool, which makes sense, as it seems everything about this band is cool. These lines near the end also stand out: “I won’t kneel and pray because I don’t believe/But please have mercy on a soul in need.” Perfect, right? Then a good rock vibe is established immediately on the next track, which is perfect for a song that it is titled “1979.” There is that great mix of punk and rock, with a steady beat, a steady rhythm. Miguel Melgoza joins the group on percussion for this one. This track features some good work on guitar, and I especially love that section on bass in the second half. “Don’t give a damn about/The lies they’re gonna tell/Keep going on, please go on.” At the end, someone comments, “That felt quite good.” No question about it. Stephen Thomas provides backing vocals on both “Knocked Down” and “1979.”

“I Live In My Head” is another cool number mixing some punk and rock vibes, and featuring great stuff on guitar. It was written by Oliver Baroni, who sings lead, delivering a strong performance. I appreciate the playful attitude in some of the lyrics, such as these lines: “I live in my head, it’s a penthouse suite/On designer sofas, drinking whisky neat.” And I love the “woo woo” backing vocal work, which adds another layer to this track. Becky Lee Walters provides backing vocals on this track. The tone changes again for “Sudden Ring,” with Emaneula Hutter on lead vocals. This song takes us out on those haunted roads where ghosts embrace mortals, where reality is thinner than in other places and it is all too easy to slip to the other side. And here too she gives those eerie ethereal “Oooh” backing vocals at key points, while the guitar takes on a sort of dark surf vibe. It is all just so damn good. “I’m still alive all this long, long while/If you could see me now, you’d laugh out loud.”

“Jet Fuel Rock And Roll” begins with a good beat, and the guitar, when it enters, has a bluesy thing happening. This one features Oliver Baroni on lead vocals and has something of a ZZ Top feel. “Get in the van and hit the road/500 miles through sleet and snow.” Daniel DeLeon provides backing vocals on this track. Then there is a delicious combination of vibes on “Let’s Go (Back In Time),” the second song to include the album’s title in its lyrics. On one hand, it’s a fun dance number that has been slowed just a bit, urging us “Let’s go.” And then it is also features another haunting vocal performance by Emanuela Hutter, and it is like she is deliberately slowing the action in order to hold us, capture us, bewitch us. Let’s go, but let’s not hurry. That’s followed by the album’s only cover, an unusual rendition of Toussaint McCall’s “Nothing Takes The Place Of You.” It is interesting, because the original version is a slow number with a sense of ache, seeming a great choice for this group. What is surprising is that they give it a bit of a reggae thing, and so their rendition actually has a lighter, more cheerful atmosphere. Oliver is on lead vocals, while Emanuela provides more of those captivating backing vocals that are so effective in her hands, working in some contrast to the track’s general vibe.

“Always Just You” was written by Oliver Baroni, but features Emanuela Hutter on lead vocals, and she delivers a beautiful performance over that great rhythm. “I’m already gone, although we were true/And in the end, it always was just you.” Then “Death By My Side” begins with a vibe similar to that of “Ghost Riders In The Sky,” though coming at a quicker pace. “I’m just a passenger with death by my side.” Ah yes, but it’s not slowing them down. This track is another highlight. Miguel Melgoza is on percussion, and Daniel DeLeon provides backing vocals. The album concludes with “Reno.” This one has a pleasant country vibe. It was written by Emanuela Hutter, who sings lead on it. “Until the end, I’m forever going round/On the dancefloor of my memory/Where I still forever will be.”

CD Track List

1. Sometimes Late At Night
2. Summerlove
3. Knocked Down
4. 1979
5. I Live In My Head
6. Sudden Ring
7. Jet Fuel Rock And Roll
8. Let’s Go (Back In Time)
9. Nothing Takes The Place Of You
10. Always Just You
11. Death By My Side
12. Reno

Back In Time was released on February 9, 2024 on Cleopatra Records, and is available on both CD and vinyl. The vinyl is white, which looks cool, and there is a gold vinyl version as well. Apparently, Cleopatra Records is re-issuing the band’s catalogue, so there will be several albums you’ll want to add to your collection in addition to this one.