Will the Guns Come Out


Will the Guns Come Out is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Hanni El Khatib. It was released on September 27, 2011, through Innovative Leisure. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Background

Will the Guns Come Out was recorded in Hanni El Khatib's bedroom. It includes his cover versions of "Heartbreak Hotel" and "You Rascal You". "I Got a Thing" is included as a bonus track on the end of the album. It is a cover of Fuzzy Haskins-written "I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing", which appeared on Funkadelic's debut studio album, Funkadelic. It was used on a Nike ad campaign, which received two million views on YouTube. "Dead Wrong" and "Build. Destroy. Rebuild." were released as singles from the album.

Critical reception

Andrew Olshevski of CMJ commented that Hanni El Khatib "manages to brandish an impressive range of techniques from his eclectic arsenal over the course of his debut." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian stated, "The White Stripes loom large over all this, but he brings a noirish touch of his own that renders a few tracks more than just pastiche." Camille Dodero of Spin described the album as "a fine testament to the power of pomade nostalgia, cigarette-pack-in-sleeve tropes, and Gene Vincent licks." Mary Kosearas of Filter stated, "Like a well-ordered classic, the whiskey-soaked vocals and intentionally rough instrumentals inspire a motivation that is not of the Twittering era: it speaks to the barefoot babes running through the streets, bottle in hand, fist raised." She added, "The tracks jump in range between genres, but for the most part you can find a consistent punk sound woven throughout."

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.