After great ‘comeback’ albums from both The Wildhearts and Rammstein dropped in May 2019 after a 10 year break, rockabilly revivalists Stray Cats outdid both and, almost out of the blue, marked their 40th anniversary with their first album of new material in 27 years, appropriately named 40.

While guitarist and frontman Brian Setzer’s career has continued in the relative spotlight in the intervening years with bands like The Brian Setzer Orchestra and various versions of his rockabilly acts, both drummer Slim Jim Phantom (who I had the pleasure of seeing open from The Damned in February 2018) and bassist Lee Rocker have continued gigging and releasing music in that time too but a reunion of the three has always been what fans of the band really harked for

Things kick off with Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me) that harks back to the band’s glory days in high energy rockabilly style before Rock It Off sets the stage for the band today with a good dose of humour mixed in with their well known rock ‘n’ roll stylings as they extol the virtues of their brand of music’s medicinal qualities — an outlook I more than agree with.

From there they mix laconically swinging rock ‘n’ roll with their classic hot revival rockabilly to make an album with some nice contrasting sounds as it works it way through twelve brand new songs.

Across the record there’s a mix of production styles from more straightforward songs that highlight the simple trio of instruments and voice, and I’ll admit this is probably my preferred sound, but, even when there’s more production going on with multiple guitar tracks and added hand claps, the album sounds great with a modern spin on something classic.

Cry Danger highlights this more produced sound as its call and response chorus sounds like its custom built to become a new live favourite on the Cats upcoming tour while the aforementioned Cat Fight and Mean Pickin’ Mama should satisfy those looking for something more old school.

On top of this the band throw in a couple of curve balls. First is twangtastic instrumental Desperado that adds a surf feel to the rockabilly with hints of Dick Dale while closer Devil Train brings in a more country feel but still keeping the Cats own sound intact too.

Across the album there are a few moments where the mix seems to favour Brian Setzer a little too strongly and particularly Lee Rocker’s upright bass gets a little lost but it’s not really enough to cause too much complaint and when they do cut through all three men still sound great with Slim Jim Phantom in particular proving how he can really make his stripped back drum kit swing.

While I’m not sure anyone would have been expecting anything earth shattering from a new Stray Cats album what they’ve presented on 40 is a lively, upbeat and modern take on what made their name with a few extras added in for good measure.

If you’re a fan of classic rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll 40 really is a must and hopefully suggests that this record and the associated tour aren’t a last hurrah but a return to form for these older but no less energetic ‘Runaway Boys’.