Haunted Island Phantoms
“Haunted Island Phantoms”
Self-released
hauntedislandphantoms.bandcamp.com
Here’s a concept album that I never thought I’d see come across my radar. “Haunted Island Phantoms” is from Rochester musician Rick Yogis (The Isotopes), and he’s giving the acoustic, one-man-band boogie treatment to the caper-based narratives found in Scooby Doo’s classic tales. It’s songs about knights, vampires, magicians, yetis, mummies, and castles, all being investigated by a Great Dane and his human pals in a tres cool shaggin’ wagon. The playing — as well as the lush vocal layers throughout — is uncomplicated and precise as the lyrics wax humorous.
Now, I used to love Scooby until Scrappy came in and f***ed it all up; maybe this is the redemption ol’ Scoobs needed. This kind of feels like a record for kids — meddlesome though they may be — but the grownups can dig it, too, whether to groove on the nostalgia or on Yogis’ expert playing.
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2016.
