The Savage Young Taterbug - Ragman Transmissions Vol. 1

The Savage Young Taterbug is an alternative indie-psychedelic band from Los Angeles, California. Released under the label Goaty Tapes / House Rules on July 29, 2021, Ragman Transmissions Vol. 1 was an album that homed quite a number of admirable ideas but didn’t innovate enough to warrant attention.

The humour is easily the highlight of Ragman Transmissions Vol. 1. The senile lyrics and eccentric old-man-like vocals instantly invite one into A Side. Any time they interplay with each other, or the instrumentation, it’s quite strong. It’s the instrumentation that’s missing flair. Much of it is repetitive and relies on its ambience to carry it. Since there’s barely any progression, the album fails to ride its aesthetic. Most sections become flat and boring rather quickly, such as the pepper section. There are exceptions, though they’re difficult to mention since the album is only labelled in two halves. The harmonica and bell-induced cowboy eulogy of A Side is entirely encapsulating, as is the ending of the Side, due to its crass and solid progression. B Side also has some neat moments, such as around the 12-minute mark.

Ragman Transmissions Vol. 1 is the epitome of an average album, but its distribution of points on the notepad greatly differ. The album suffers from bad production, below-average innovation, and only slightly above average compositions. The enjoyability is quite high, though; it’s an enjoyable experience from start to finish. If only it were more proficiently executed.

Below Average

Listen to it here:

https://goatytapes.bandcamp.com/album/ragman-transmissions-vol-1

The Savage Young Taterbug - Ragman Transmissions Vol. 1