Wild Eleki Deluxe

Wild Eleki Deluxe is the Royal Fingers' rip-roaring surf rock ride for Del-Fi. With riffs and grooves that move with the best surf tunes of yesteryear, the Japanese trio draws the listener back to a time of beach parties, longboards, woodies, and surfer girls. There are covers of other Japanese songwriters on here, like Kosaku Dan's hard-rocking "Black Sand Beach," the countrified "Running Donkey," and the garage jam "The L.A.," as well as originals that crystallize the band's love for such an American genre. "Ace of Toyota," an amazing name for a song, is like Link Wray sped up for cruising in a compact car. "Wild Datsun" takes the theme to street drag racing. "Crazy Sue Sax" is a hand-clapper that brings on the saxophone. The atmospheric "Echo Rocket 66" finishes things up with a Pulp Fiction flair. This is a pretty straightforward take on surf rock and doesn't sound entirely new. But Wild Eleki Deluxe is pure fun, and one can't ask for much more than that.