2023 Album Reviews
(highlighted text within reviews links to YouTube clips or web-pages, etc.)
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(highlighted text within reviews links to YouTube clips or web-pages, etc.)
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The Daybreakers – Get Through This & Live
The Daybreakers, a London based, rhythm and blues-rock trio consisting of Aidan Connell (vocals, guitars), Conor Cotterill (bass) and Anthony Paine (drums), are already highly regarded in their local gig circuit (Jimmy Page and the late Jeff Beck have both attended shows).
Good news then for those of us situated well outside of old Londinium’s musical borders that we now get to hear what the fuzzy rhythm and rockin’ blues fuss is all about via the band’s debut album Get Through This & Live.
The album kicks off in strong, ear-catching fashion with 'Tear the Walls Down,' which carries an appealing retro production vibe, with double-tracked vocals front and centre and some Hammond backing from Ray Drury.
This is feel-good rhythm and blues-rock, complete with a twin guitar melody hook, a solo from British blues artist Conor Selby and some obvious opportunities for audience participation at a live gig.
Following number 'Bluesbreaker' also carries a retro vibe (think sounds of the 60s/70s but with better production), combined here with grungy, distorted bass and some woozy organ driving it along.
The curiously titled 'Black Beatles on the Radio' then takes us into the realms of psychedelia with Hendrix-esque backwards-guitar effects circa Are You Experienced? (indeed you can practically smell the patchouli oil and jazz fags).
There are also echoes of Cream in this number, further cementing the nostalgia factor for those of a certain vintage.
After that promising triple salvo start we are offered the more predictable shuffle-stomp of the band's ode to fallen icons, 'I Hate Rock’N’Roll,' which ironically has roots in… rock and roll.
The marmite song of the album however is following number 'Call On Me;' it provides interesting low-fi contrast but its similarity to U2 is guaranteed to be an immediate listener splitter.
'Wylde Ones' (a nod to the wild ones we have lost) is even more down tempo yet is a far stronger proposition.
Hints of Americana and blues, plus a heavily-reverbed lap steel part courtesy of Joe Anderton (and baritone guitar from Michael Hanley) all help set the scene, while Aidan Connell contributes an impressive and expressive guitar solo.
'Set Me Free,' with its hint of early glam-rock, is an almost homage-nod to Marc Bolan (Aidan Connell has quite the Bolan-esque vocality here, while the song itself wouldn’t be out of place on an early T-Rex (or even Bowie) album).
Far more modern influences are to the fore on the up-tempo, rhythmic and contemporary 'Crash and Burn,' while following number 'Clean' starts with a funky riff before dropping to a mid-tempo groove with a well-performed vocal part and a simple but effective chorus.
The album closes out with R'n'B number 'Shadows,' which features a harmonica part from Leo Smith.
The song is another up-tempo with sparse arrangement, driven along by the rhythm section to good effect. Another good chorus elevates this number further.
'Shadows' makes for a strong finish to an album that, aside from a couple of misfires, helps illustrate the band, who boast Jewish, Jamaican and Irish backgrounds – cultural diversity with a myriad of musical influences (Thin Lizzy for one, as the album cover homage clearly depicts) – are, as has been described: "reclaiming the blues and rock 'n' roll for the younger generation."
More multi-styled power to them.
Nelson McFarlane
FabricationsHQ
Get Through This & Live will be released on CD and Digital on 18th May.
Good news then for those of us situated well outside of old Londinium’s musical borders that we now get to hear what the fuzzy rhythm and rockin’ blues fuss is all about via the band’s debut album Get Through This & Live.
The album kicks off in strong, ear-catching fashion with 'Tear the Walls Down,' which carries an appealing retro production vibe, with double-tracked vocals front and centre and some Hammond backing from Ray Drury.
This is feel-good rhythm and blues-rock, complete with a twin guitar melody hook, a solo from British blues artist Conor Selby and some obvious opportunities for audience participation at a live gig.
Following number 'Bluesbreaker' also carries a retro vibe (think sounds of the 60s/70s but with better production), combined here with grungy, distorted bass and some woozy organ driving it along.
The curiously titled 'Black Beatles on the Radio' then takes us into the realms of psychedelia with Hendrix-esque backwards-guitar effects circa Are You Experienced? (indeed you can practically smell the patchouli oil and jazz fags).
There are also echoes of Cream in this number, further cementing the nostalgia factor for those of a certain vintage.
After that promising triple salvo start we are offered the more predictable shuffle-stomp of the band's ode to fallen icons, 'I Hate Rock’N’Roll,' which ironically has roots in… rock and roll.
The marmite song of the album however is following number 'Call On Me;' it provides interesting low-fi contrast but its similarity to U2 is guaranteed to be an immediate listener splitter.
'Wylde Ones' (a nod to the wild ones we have lost) is even more down tempo yet is a far stronger proposition.
Hints of Americana and blues, plus a heavily-reverbed lap steel part courtesy of Joe Anderton (and baritone guitar from Michael Hanley) all help set the scene, while Aidan Connell contributes an impressive and expressive guitar solo.
'Set Me Free,' with its hint of early glam-rock, is an almost homage-nod to Marc Bolan (Aidan Connell has quite the Bolan-esque vocality here, while the song itself wouldn’t be out of place on an early T-Rex (or even Bowie) album).
Far more modern influences are to the fore on the up-tempo, rhythmic and contemporary 'Crash and Burn,' while following number 'Clean' starts with a funky riff before dropping to a mid-tempo groove with a well-performed vocal part and a simple but effective chorus.
The album closes out with R'n'B number 'Shadows,' which features a harmonica part from Leo Smith.
The song is another up-tempo with sparse arrangement, driven along by the rhythm section to good effect. Another good chorus elevates this number further.
'Shadows' makes for a strong finish to an album that, aside from a couple of misfires, helps illustrate the band, who boast Jewish, Jamaican and Irish backgrounds – cultural diversity with a myriad of musical influences (Thin Lizzy for one, as the album cover homage clearly depicts) – are, as has been described: "reclaiming the blues and rock 'n' roll for the younger generation."
More multi-styled power to them.
Nelson McFarlane
FabricationsHQ
Get Through This & Live will be released on CD and Digital on 18th May.
Taj Mahal – Savoy
The instantly recognisable voice of Taj Mahal, a living legend of all-things American roots/ trad. blues (and indeed the artist who has recorded more styles of roots music than any other – Caribbean, African, Hawaiian, Gospel, early R&B, to name but five) has managed to take yet another musical direction with latest album Savoy.
In short, a beautiful reminisce and homage to the big band/ jazz swing and early be-bop era of pre-war America with, naturally and delightfully, a bluesy undercurrent.
Here, in the collaborative company of close friend these last fifty-plus years, acclaimed producer John Simon (The Band, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Blood Sweat & Tears) Taj Mahal has put his voice (and on occasion harmonica) to fourteen early American Songbook standards composed by the luminary likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong.
The latter name has dovetailing significance given that, while Taj Mahal has very much his own, distinct voice, he has been likened in the past to the great Satchmo (primarily because of their wonderful phrasing, which is very much emphasised on Savoy, along with a handful of great "skippity bop" scat interjections).
Opening number 'Stompin' at the Savoy' sets the scene and indeed the semi-conceptual story.
Introduced by Taj Mahal in reflective, narrative mode (talking about his musical parents first meeting at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in 1938, during the initial run of Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Band no less) the song soft-swings into action with silky smooth results, bolstered by some neat scattin’ from Taj Mahal and tenor sax solo from Charles McNeal.
What follows is a lovingly created throwback to that Savoy era, courtesy of Taj Mahal in the company of Danny Caron (guitar), Ruth Davies (bass), John Simon (piano), Leon Joyce Jr. (drums), backing vocalists Carla Holbrook, Leesa Humphrey, Charlotte McKinnon (who give it the full Andrews Sisters throughout) and a clutch of seriously good horn players.
Truth be told every song is a winner, but piano led, horns backed blues 'Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You' (which takes its lead from the Nat King Cole Trio version), the jazz-swing treatment of Gershwin classic 'Summertime' (which sounds like it could have been arranged by Gil Evans and Miles Davis), the violin & horns swinging take of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' (with drummer Leon Joyce Jr. in the groove) and the cheeky & charming duet between Taj Mahal and Maria Muldaur on 'Baby It’s Cold Outside' (featuring Evan Price on violin) are very much deserving of special note.
There’s also a place for Louis Jordan’s jump-blues classics 'Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby' (with Taj Mahal on full scat) and the punchy 'Caldonia,' featuring trumpet (Mike Rinta) & sax (Charles McNeal) solos and Taj Mahal on harmonica.
(He also blows the harp on jazz-blues instrumental 'Killer Joe,' which features Kristen Strom on tenor sax).
The album couldn’t not close out on the three sheets to the wind blues & horns sway of 'One For My Baby (and One More for the Road),' but the most telling track on Savoy, which features in the early going, is the Duke Ellington composition 'I’m Just a Lucky So and So,' a reflective horns backed number (with bluesy flute solo from Kristen Strom) that lyrically fits Taj Mahal’s approach to life perfectly.
"Just a lucky so and so!" concludes the man also known as Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.
And so are we, to be able to live music-listening life alongside the long and still-going-strong career of one of the greatest and most influential American roots & blues artists of all-time.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
In short, a beautiful reminisce and homage to the big band/ jazz swing and early be-bop era of pre-war America with, naturally and delightfully, a bluesy undercurrent.
Here, in the collaborative company of close friend these last fifty-plus years, acclaimed producer John Simon (The Band, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Blood Sweat & Tears) Taj Mahal has put his voice (and on occasion harmonica) to fourteen early American Songbook standards composed by the luminary likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong.
The latter name has dovetailing significance given that, while Taj Mahal has very much his own, distinct voice, he has been likened in the past to the great Satchmo (primarily because of their wonderful phrasing, which is very much emphasised on Savoy, along with a handful of great "skippity bop" scat interjections).
Opening number 'Stompin' at the Savoy' sets the scene and indeed the semi-conceptual story.
Introduced by Taj Mahal in reflective, narrative mode (talking about his musical parents first meeting at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in 1938, during the initial run of Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Band no less) the song soft-swings into action with silky smooth results, bolstered by some neat scattin’ from Taj Mahal and tenor sax solo from Charles McNeal.
What follows is a lovingly created throwback to that Savoy era, courtesy of Taj Mahal in the company of Danny Caron (guitar), Ruth Davies (bass), John Simon (piano), Leon Joyce Jr. (drums), backing vocalists Carla Holbrook, Leesa Humphrey, Charlotte McKinnon (who give it the full Andrews Sisters throughout) and a clutch of seriously good horn players.
Truth be told every song is a winner, but piano led, horns backed blues 'Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You' (which takes its lead from the Nat King Cole Trio version), the jazz-swing treatment of Gershwin classic 'Summertime' (which sounds like it could have been arranged by Gil Evans and Miles Davis), the violin & horns swinging take of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' (with drummer Leon Joyce Jr. in the groove) and the cheeky & charming duet between Taj Mahal and Maria Muldaur on 'Baby It’s Cold Outside' (featuring Evan Price on violin) are very much deserving of special note.
There’s also a place for Louis Jordan’s jump-blues classics 'Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby' (with Taj Mahal on full scat) and the punchy 'Caldonia,' featuring trumpet (Mike Rinta) & sax (Charles McNeal) solos and Taj Mahal on harmonica.
(He also blows the harp on jazz-blues instrumental 'Killer Joe,' which features Kristen Strom on tenor sax).
The album couldn’t not close out on the three sheets to the wind blues & horns sway of 'One For My Baby (and One More for the Road),' but the most telling track on Savoy, which features in the early going, is the Duke Ellington composition 'I’m Just a Lucky So and So,' a reflective horns backed number (with bluesy flute solo from Kristen Strom) that lyrically fits Taj Mahal’s approach to life perfectly.
"Just a lucky so and so!" concludes the man also known as Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.
And so are we, to be able to live music-listening life alongside the long and still-going-strong career of one of the greatest and most influential American roots & blues artists of all-time.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Jim Kirkpatrick – Dead Man Walking
The fact that short opening number 'Promised Land' is a harmonised gospel blues work-song to a hopefully better future tells you Jim Kirkpatrick’s new album Dead Man Walking (the follow-up to the noted guitar-slinger’s excellent 2020 release Ballad of a Prodigal Son) is already spreading a wider blues shaded canvas than its well-received predecessor.
Indeed Kirkpatrick (guitarist with celebrated and long-standing British melodic rockers FM), has intentionally pushed himself into deeper blues territory on Dead Man Walking, an album that flirts with, and delivers on, the aforementioned southern gospel, southern-tinged rock, soul-blues, a dash of Americana/ country, a couple of out an out rockers and an interesting and satisfying cover.
Nor does it hurt that the other nine songs feature some purposeful drum work from Status Quo’s Leon Cave and keys from Jim Kirkpatrick’s FM bandmate Jem Davis (Cave and Davis, with Jim Kirkpatrick on vocals, guitars, percussion (and bass on four tracks), make up the core trio of the album).
'Promised Land' gives way to the title track.
A co-write with Bernie Marsden and featuring Chris Cliff on bass, 'Dead Man Walking' flexes its musical muscles between southern blues stomp verses and bigger, swaggering choruses (and a feisty solo from Jim Kirkpatrick; indeed his guitar play across the entire album is a highlight).
The weight of following number 'Razors Edge' is carried in its mid-tempo groove, melodic middle eight and a purposeful vocal from Jim Kirkpatrick (there’s a number of noticeably strong vocal performances on the album) while 'Life On The Run' is a clever mix of blues-rock, a nifty riff and an AOR chorus that FM would be proud of.
Soulful rock ballad 'The Journey Home' (one of three songs featuring Ollie Collins on bass) adds lyrically sincere and lighter love song contrast before the harmonica blowin' 'Union Train' starts down the tracks.
Featuring Status Quo’s John "Rhino" Edwards on bass, Alex Mcilquham on backing vocals and Clare "Fluff" Smith on fiddle, the southern rocking 'Union Train' tells the true story of Union soldiers who seized a locomotive in Georgia during the American Civil War (it’s also one of Kirkpatrick’s best song compositions to date).
Thick riffed, beefy slow blues then comes calling by way of 'Road Of Bones' (featuring another clever melodic change-up on the middle eight and one of Jim Kirkpatrick’s best guitar solo of the album).
'Heaven Above,' with a horn arrangement from Scott Ralph, then does its best impression, musically of a slower, blues-driven 'Walk This Way' (and a big chorus).
'Hold On,' with Sarah Miller adding some female backing vocal pizzazz (as she did on 'Heaven Above'), offers up some Stonesy-ish, mid-tempo blues 'n' roll before the album concludes with a cover of Rory Gallagher gem 'I Fall Apart.'
While the vocal, in terms of delivery and phrasing, remains faithful to the original (a nice nod of vocal and lyrical reverence), Jim Kirkpatrick’s version is shorter and passes on Rory's superlative mid-song solo expressions (well, who would be foolish enough… etc); it does however conclude with a sweeping orchestral score from Charlie Olins and a tasteful, ever-building outro solo from Kirkpatrick.
Produced by Jim Kirkpatrick and mixed & mastered by Jim Griffiths at Principal Audio, Dead Man Walking doesn’t just sound the part, it carries some of Jim Kirkpatrick’s best work to date.
("I think some of my strongest tracks ever are on this album" said Kirkpatrick on pre-release press; you thought right, Jim).
Dead Man Walking. Blues Man Talking (the talk).
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Dead Man Walking is released on Friday 21st April.
Pre-order/ purchase link: https://www.jimkirkpatrick.com/shop
Indeed Kirkpatrick (guitarist with celebrated and long-standing British melodic rockers FM), has intentionally pushed himself into deeper blues territory on Dead Man Walking, an album that flirts with, and delivers on, the aforementioned southern gospel, southern-tinged rock, soul-blues, a dash of Americana/ country, a couple of out an out rockers and an interesting and satisfying cover.
Nor does it hurt that the other nine songs feature some purposeful drum work from Status Quo’s Leon Cave and keys from Jim Kirkpatrick’s FM bandmate Jem Davis (Cave and Davis, with Jim Kirkpatrick on vocals, guitars, percussion (and bass on four tracks), make up the core trio of the album).
'Promised Land' gives way to the title track.
A co-write with Bernie Marsden and featuring Chris Cliff on bass, 'Dead Man Walking' flexes its musical muscles between southern blues stomp verses and bigger, swaggering choruses (and a feisty solo from Jim Kirkpatrick; indeed his guitar play across the entire album is a highlight).
The weight of following number 'Razors Edge' is carried in its mid-tempo groove, melodic middle eight and a purposeful vocal from Jim Kirkpatrick (there’s a number of noticeably strong vocal performances on the album) while 'Life On The Run' is a clever mix of blues-rock, a nifty riff and an AOR chorus that FM would be proud of.
Soulful rock ballad 'The Journey Home' (one of three songs featuring Ollie Collins on bass) adds lyrically sincere and lighter love song contrast before the harmonica blowin' 'Union Train' starts down the tracks.
Featuring Status Quo’s John "Rhino" Edwards on bass, Alex Mcilquham on backing vocals and Clare "Fluff" Smith on fiddle, the southern rocking 'Union Train' tells the true story of Union soldiers who seized a locomotive in Georgia during the American Civil War (it’s also one of Kirkpatrick’s best song compositions to date).
Thick riffed, beefy slow blues then comes calling by way of 'Road Of Bones' (featuring another clever melodic change-up on the middle eight and one of Jim Kirkpatrick’s best guitar solo of the album).
'Heaven Above,' with a horn arrangement from Scott Ralph, then does its best impression, musically of a slower, blues-driven 'Walk This Way' (and a big chorus).
'Hold On,' with Sarah Miller adding some female backing vocal pizzazz (as she did on 'Heaven Above'), offers up some Stonesy-ish, mid-tempo blues 'n' roll before the album concludes with a cover of Rory Gallagher gem 'I Fall Apart.'
While the vocal, in terms of delivery and phrasing, remains faithful to the original (a nice nod of vocal and lyrical reverence), Jim Kirkpatrick’s version is shorter and passes on Rory's superlative mid-song solo expressions (well, who would be foolish enough… etc); it does however conclude with a sweeping orchestral score from Charlie Olins and a tasteful, ever-building outro solo from Kirkpatrick.
Produced by Jim Kirkpatrick and mixed & mastered by Jim Griffiths at Principal Audio, Dead Man Walking doesn’t just sound the part, it carries some of Jim Kirkpatrick’s best work to date.
("I think some of my strongest tracks ever are on this album" said Kirkpatrick on pre-release press; you thought right, Jim).
Dead Man Walking. Blues Man Talking (the talk).
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Dead Man Walking is released on Friday 21st April.
Pre-order/ purchase link: https://www.jimkirkpatrick.com/shop
David Cowan – Out Of The Dark Part 2
Scottish keyboardist & composer David Cowan (who is also none too shabby behind a drum kit), has so many band duties and gigging obligations (The Sensational Alex Harvey Experience (SAHE), a revamped /Sin Dogs/, new band The Meissner Effect, working with Gerry McAvoy’s Band Of Friends, to name but four) it’s amazing he finds time for his solo projects.
But time has indeed been found for Out Of The Dark Part 2, Cowan’s horror movie/ suspense soundtrack styled follow up to 2020’s Out Of The Dark Part 1, which is currently being remixed for reissue as Out Of The Dark 1.5 (Part 3, time willing, will go into production later this year).
It should also be noted that David Cowan released a four track EP in 2022 entitled Code Red.
Seen as more of a lockdown release/ Part 2 precursor by Cowan, the on-its-own-merits reality is a strong quartet of rock-fusion tunes (guitars, keys and drums leading the instrumental charge) that showcase yet another side of Cowan’s compositional and co-writing skills.
Like the first Out Of The Dark album, Part 2, in the shape of synth & piano driven (and decidedly John Carpenter-esque) opener 'Castle of The Damned,' begins with unsettling dialogue (think Fish in his most sinister narrative mode): "The Castle of the Damned will make its mark. On. You."
Following number 'Psyclone' is an out and out rocker fronted by featured vocalist Peter Scallan (co-writer of a number of the songs and also part of the new /Sin Dogs/); it contrasts quite dramatically with 'Edge of Darkness,' a rock-theatre styled power ballad that sports a tasty solo from guitarist Andy McLaughlan, who features on most of the tracks (McLaughlan, a Code Red contributor, is also part of David Cowan’s new band The Meissner Effect).
'Identity,' featuring David Cowan’s bass playing buddy Nelson McFarlane (SAHE, /Sin Dogs/, The Meissner Effect) flits from cinematic soundtrack passages to the more riff-rugged rock of early 90s era Glenn Hughes.
Next number up is 'Enemies Closer,' which is akin to a darker Toto in rock mode, with impressive guitar and synth solos from Messrs. McLaughlan & Cowan, respectively.
The instrumental 'Tilt,' with its rock-metal meets middle-eastern melodic motifs makes for the most interesting number on the album; it’s followed by the most unsettling of the ten tracks, 'City of Blood,' an eerie vampirical dream-mare with spoken word vocal from Mike Drew ("first you’re a bleeder, then a feeder... once you’re a feeder, forever a needer…"). It also sports a suitably pleading (or perhaps bleeding) guitar solo from guest player Julian Hutson Saxby.
'Driven to Distraction' is cut from the rock-metal meets suspense mould without ever breaking that mould; it does however feature solid drum work from David Cowan and another tasty solo from Andy McLaughlan.
The Instrumental 'Attica' offers up vibrant, melodic synth & guitar rock (with contrasting metal passages that touch on Dream Theater) before the rocker 'In Your System' (a perfect lyrical & soundtrack fit for the Tron movie series) closes out the album.
Such suspense styled works are, by their very soundtrack-tinged nature, quite niche – but given the compositional quality on display (and a clear love of the genre) the hope is David Cowan can step Out Of The Dark and into the light of wider recognition for his solo work.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
But time has indeed been found for Out Of The Dark Part 2, Cowan’s horror movie/ suspense soundtrack styled follow up to 2020’s Out Of The Dark Part 1, which is currently being remixed for reissue as Out Of The Dark 1.5 (Part 3, time willing, will go into production later this year).
It should also be noted that David Cowan released a four track EP in 2022 entitled Code Red.
Seen as more of a lockdown release/ Part 2 precursor by Cowan, the on-its-own-merits reality is a strong quartet of rock-fusion tunes (guitars, keys and drums leading the instrumental charge) that showcase yet another side of Cowan’s compositional and co-writing skills.
Like the first Out Of The Dark album, Part 2, in the shape of synth & piano driven (and decidedly John Carpenter-esque) opener 'Castle of The Damned,' begins with unsettling dialogue (think Fish in his most sinister narrative mode): "The Castle of the Damned will make its mark. On. You."
Following number 'Psyclone' is an out and out rocker fronted by featured vocalist Peter Scallan (co-writer of a number of the songs and also part of the new /Sin Dogs/); it contrasts quite dramatically with 'Edge of Darkness,' a rock-theatre styled power ballad that sports a tasty solo from guitarist Andy McLaughlan, who features on most of the tracks (McLaughlan, a Code Red contributor, is also part of David Cowan’s new band The Meissner Effect).
'Identity,' featuring David Cowan’s bass playing buddy Nelson McFarlane (SAHE, /Sin Dogs/, The Meissner Effect) flits from cinematic soundtrack passages to the more riff-rugged rock of early 90s era Glenn Hughes.
Next number up is 'Enemies Closer,' which is akin to a darker Toto in rock mode, with impressive guitar and synth solos from Messrs. McLaughlan & Cowan, respectively.
The instrumental 'Tilt,' with its rock-metal meets middle-eastern melodic motifs makes for the most interesting number on the album; it’s followed by the most unsettling of the ten tracks, 'City of Blood,' an eerie vampirical dream-mare with spoken word vocal from Mike Drew ("first you’re a bleeder, then a feeder... once you’re a feeder, forever a needer…"). It also sports a suitably pleading (or perhaps bleeding) guitar solo from guest player Julian Hutson Saxby.
'Driven to Distraction' is cut from the rock-metal meets suspense mould without ever breaking that mould; it does however feature solid drum work from David Cowan and another tasty solo from Andy McLaughlan.
The Instrumental 'Attica' offers up vibrant, melodic synth & guitar rock (with contrasting metal passages that touch on Dream Theater) before the rocker 'In Your System' (a perfect lyrical & soundtrack fit for the Tron movie series) closes out the album.
Such suspense styled works are, by their very soundtrack-tinged nature, quite niche – but given the compositional quality on display (and a clear love of the genre) the hope is David Cowan can step Out Of The Dark and into the light of wider recognition for his solo work.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Paul Gilbert – The Dio Album
There has been many a Ronnie James Dio musical celebration or homage, from official DIO tribute to great band in their own right Last In Line, to cover bands that keep the legacy of the little guy with the huge pipes alive and revered.
But renowned rock guitarist Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X, solo) has "vocalised" some of the best songs from Dio’s classic catalogue in a way like no other.
As just about every rock and rock guitar fan will have realised before hearing so much of a note of The Dio Album, Paul Gilbert’s respectful yet highly original homage comes by way of his six-string skills, whereby Gilbert emulates Ronnie James Dio’s vocal, vocal lines and vocal melodies through his guitar and the tonal choices and effects.
Anyone who has heard Gilbert play will be very much aware he’s a fast and fluid shredder par excellence but he’s also a very melodic and indeed "lyrical" player; in the case of the latter, as heard here, almost literally.
With guitar in hand and foot never too far away from the pedal board, Paul Gilbert plays and guitar-sings the Dio classics right from the power-down, high gear get-go via the triple salvo of 'Neon Knights,' 'Kill the King' and an especially lyrical 'Stand Up And Shout' (thus immediately nodding to Ronnie James Dio’s rock triumvirate of Black Sabbath, Rainbow and DIO); each lead vocal melody line is cleverly nuanced to emulate Dio’s lead vocal, including vocal phrasing and word (or in this case note) emphasis.
This means Paul Gilbert is also taking on the recognised and highly regarded guitar roles – particularly in terms of famous riffs and solos – of Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore and Vivian Campbell.
He does this with both respect and aplomb, but also manages to put his own six-string spin on the solos without straying too far away from what made them guitar and vocal classics in the first place.
Other highlights across the album’s twelve tracks include the weighty, mid-tempo muscle of a particularly impressive 'Last In Line,' 'Holy Diver' (including Dio’s trademark "Mmmhmm" intro) and Sabbath’s 'Heaven and Hell,' as well as the Rainbow trio of 'Long Live Rock And Roll,' 'Man On the Silver Mountain' and 'Starstruck.'
On the face of it this may seem like a strange idea or notion for an album in tribute to one of the great rock voices, the idea for which came from nothing more than Paul Gilbert seeing a baseball cap emblazoned with the DIO name/ logo as he was driving in his car one day (instantly recalling the Dio legacy, the tribute seeds were sown).
But Paul Gilbert is no stranger to instrumental music and, along with his clear love of the material (which also gave him the chance to play "metal rhythm" for the first time in a long time; additionally he plays all instruments other than the rock solid drum work from Bill Ray), he’s delivered an album that’s a worthy addition to his own solo catalogue, as well as putting new "voice" to the Dio classics.
And, of course, it's the perfect sing-a-long / rawk-karaoke album for all Dio aficionados.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Dio Album will be released on 7th April via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group.
Pre-order here: lnk.to/PaulGilbert
But renowned rock guitarist Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X, solo) has "vocalised" some of the best songs from Dio’s classic catalogue in a way like no other.
As just about every rock and rock guitar fan will have realised before hearing so much of a note of The Dio Album, Paul Gilbert’s respectful yet highly original homage comes by way of his six-string skills, whereby Gilbert emulates Ronnie James Dio’s vocal, vocal lines and vocal melodies through his guitar and the tonal choices and effects.
Anyone who has heard Gilbert play will be very much aware he’s a fast and fluid shredder par excellence but he’s also a very melodic and indeed "lyrical" player; in the case of the latter, as heard here, almost literally.
With guitar in hand and foot never too far away from the pedal board, Paul Gilbert plays and guitar-sings the Dio classics right from the power-down, high gear get-go via the triple salvo of 'Neon Knights,' 'Kill the King' and an especially lyrical 'Stand Up And Shout' (thus immediately nodding to Ronnie James Dio’s rock triumvirate of Black Sabbath, Rainbow and DIO); each lead vocal melody line is cleverly nuanced to emulate Dio’s lead vocal, including vocal phrasing and word (or in this case note) emphasis.
This means Paul Gilbert is also taking on the recognised and highly regarded guitar roles – particularly in terms of famous riffs and solos – of Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore and Vivian Campbell.
He does this with both respect and aplomb, but also manages to put his own six-string spin on the solos without straying too far away from what made them guitar and vocal classics in the first place.
Other highlights across the album’s twelve tracks include the weighty, mid-tempo muscle of a particularly impressive 'Last In Line,' 'Holy Diver' (including Dio’s trademark "Mmmhmm" intro) and Sabbath’s 'Heaven and Hell,' as well as the Rainbow trio of 'Long Live Rock And Roll,' 'Man On the Silver Mountain' and 'Starstruck.'
On the face of it this may seem like a strange idea or notion for an album in tribute to one of the great rock voices, the idea for which came from nothing more than Paul Gilbert seeing a baseball cap emblazoned with the DIO name/ logo as he was driving in his car one day (instantly recalling the Dio legacy, the tribute seeds were sown).
But Paul Gilbert is no stranger to instrumental music and, along with his clear love of the material (which also gave him the chance to play "metal rhythm" for the first time in a long time; additionally he plays all instruments other than the rock solid drum work from Bill Ray), he’s delivered an album that’s a worthy addition to his own solo catalogue, as well as putting new "voice" to the Dio classics.
And, of course, it's the perfect sing-a-long / rawk-karaoke album for all Dio aficionados.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Dio Album will be released on 7th April via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group.
Pre-order here: lnk.to/PaulGilbert
Quint Starkie – Quintessential
Music fans who know the name of singer-songwriter-guitarist Quint Starkie will, more than likely, associate said name with another singer-songwriter-guitarist of some musical and lyrical note, Francis Dunnery.
(The Swedish based Starkie is also part of Francis Dunnery’s It Bites).
The associations don’t end there; Quint Starkie is a major fan of Francis Dunnery and clearly influenced by his acoustic based songwriting style and use of melody (utilised to not just fine but outstanding effect on Starkie’s 2016 solo album Ghost in My Heart).
But while the Dunnery-isms are evident there’s self-made musical art and lyrical craft to Quint Starkie’s material, as heard on latest solo offering Quintessential (I see what you did there, Mr Starkie).
The album, which first saw the light of the rising sun day in Japan in 2022 (now remastered with a different and better paced track order, new cover and an additional track), is a lyrically personal work but one that’s immediately accessible – musically light, airy and pleasant as a cool breeze or coastal drive.
The dreamy soul-pop of album opener 'Just Like You' features delightful guitar remarks and some lovely harmony & backing vocals (Tania Doko, Jule Wiegand, Dorie Jackson and Michael Kleimert all make themselves vocally known across various tracks).
Following number 'Hollywood' then belies its charming pop-bounce and up-tempo beat with lyrical poignancy ("LAX is the loneliest place in the world to find yourself when love takes off and leaves you staring in a coffee cup").
There seems to be a similar LA (dis)connection (Quint Starkie lived in LA for a time) on ballad 'Fear of Flying' ("I’m conquering this fear of flying, but taking off without you is frightening") while the acoustic-led 'Home Again' is a lovely, re-grounding oneself number on the benefits of returning to where you truly belong ("thank you for the blessings of my family tree, my home is where my heart wants to be").
One of the most personal but endearing numbers on the album is 'Mr Maxwell,' a "car song" about a Sunday drive shared between father and young son.
Carrying a delightful feel-good vibe, the song also offers up a nice correlation between drive-time and your favourite song/s on the radio ("push the pedal to the floor, try to squeeze a little more… Bowie’s on the radio, floating in a tin can!").
'Mr Maxwell' is one of two songs on the album that first appeared as singles back in 2020, the year it all went pandemic-pear shaped. 'Mr Maxwell' and the other earlier number, 'Endless Summer' (a reflective, smile-on-the-face song to love), were the better times ahead antithesis to the negativity of 2020; both deserve their Quintessential placing.
Also worthy of mention is the inclusion of another 2020 song 'Gotta Let Go' (a welcome and soulfully atmospheric addition) and the enhanced sound of the album – in this case a sonically brighter remastering, courtesy of Martin Ankelius.
Penultimate number ‘Falling For the First Time’ offers up fairly simple but engaging soul-pop fun (with a soupçon of 70s era Stevie Wonder for good measure) before ballad ‘Something I Couldn’t Be' closes out the album in the most moving of hard-choice circumstances ("When ambition finally hit me there was nothing I could do, California was there waiting and she chose me over you").
Deeply personal in places it may be but this album is, as the title so emphatically states, Quintessential singer-songwriter listening.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The remastered & revisited edition of Quintessential is available now on Bandcamp: https://quintstarkie.bandcamp.com/album/quintessential
(The Swedish based Starkie is also part of Francis Dunnery’s It Bites).
The associations don’t end there; Quint Starkie is a major fan of Francis Dunnery and clearly influenced by his acoustic based songwriting style and use of melody (utilised to not just fine but outstanding effect on Starkie’s 2016 solo album Ghost in My Heart).
But while the Dunnery-isms are evident there’s self-made musical art and lyrical craft to Quint Starkie’s material, as heard on latest solo offering Quintessential (I see what you did there, Mr Starkie).
The album, which first saw the light of the rising sun day in Japan in 2022 (now remastered with a different and better paced track order, new cover and an additional track), is a lyrically personal work but one that’s immediately accessible – musically light, airy and pleasant as a cool breeze or coastal drive.
The dreamy soul-pop of album opener 'Just Like You' features delightful guitar remarks and some lovely harmony & backing vocals (Tania Doko, Jule Wiegand, Dorie Jackson and Michael Kleimert all make themselves vocally known across various tracks).
Following number 'Hollywood' then belies its charming pop-bounce and up-tempo beat with lyrical poignancy ("LAX is the loneliest place in the world to find yourself when love takes off and leaves you staring in a coffee cup").
There seems to be a similar LA (dis)connection (Quint Starkie lived in LA for a time) on ballad 'Fear of Flying' ("I’m conquering this fear of flying, but taking off without you is frightening") while the acoustic-led 'Home Again' is a lovely, re-grounding oneself number on the benefits of returning to where you truly belong ("thank you for the blessings of my family tree, my home is where my heart wants to be").
One of the most personal but endearing numbers on the album is 'Mr Maxwell,' a "car song" about a Sunday drive shared between father and young son.
Carrying a delightful feel-good vibe, the song also offers up a nice correlation between drive-time and your favourite song/s on the radio ("push the pedal to the floor, try to squeeze a little more… Bowie’s on the radio, floating in a tin can!").
'Mr Maxwell' is one of two songs on the album that first appeared as singles back in 2020, the year it all went pandemic-pear shaped. 'Mr Maxwell' and the other earlier number, 'Endless Summer' (a reflective, smile-on-the-face song to love), were the better times ahead antithesis to the negativity of 2020; both deserve their Quintessential placing.
Also worthy of mention is the inclusion of another 2020 song 'Gotta Let Go' (a welcome and soulfully atmospheric addition) and the enhanced sound of the album – in this case a sonically brighter remastering, courtesy of Martin Ankelius.
Penultimate number ‘Falling For the First Time’ offers up fairly simple but engaging soul-pop fun (with a soupçon of 70s era Stevie Wonder for good measure) before ballad ‘Something I Couldn’t Be' closes out the album in the most moving of hard-choice circumstances ("When ambition finally hit me there was nothing I could do, California was there waiting and she chose me over you").
Deeply personal in places it may be but this album is, as the title so emphatically states, Quintessential singer-songwriter listening.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The remastered & revisited edition of Quintessential is available now on Bandcamp: https://quintstarkie.bandcamp.com/album/quintessential
Brownbear – Demons
As a fully independent artist it’s fitting there is (and indeed always has been) an Indie-pop vibe to the music of Ayrshire’s Brownbear, a name that’s interchangeable between band and front man/ singer-songwriter/ solo artist Matt Hickman (who performed under the moniker when playing acoustic gigs in coffee bars and their arts centre like long before there was a Brownbear band).
The Hickman penned Brownbear sound was first heard (in full studio album terms) on 2018 debut What Is Home?, an acoustic based Indie folk affair that caught some deserved attention.
Now, five years on with an album those same five years in the making (Matt Hickman lyrically tracking through the pandemic, lockdowns, personal experiences and honest social commentary), comes Demons, and even stronger, larger sounding work that has already garnered more attention than the debut.
The album opens with a one-two salvo of Indie power-pop with, first, the rockin’ rhythm of 'All I Want' followed by the Modish big beat of the melodically infectious 'Close Call' (one of a handful of songs on the album to be punctuated with horns of brass effects).
Third number 'Let Your Guard Down' is the acoustic/ Indie-folk side of Brownbear/ Matt Hickman; a warm and charming mid-tempo that lyrically confirms it’s OK to reach out on occasion to a world you feel "has let you down."
'Take Your Time' then delivers some sixties-styled soul-pop groove before the acoustic based, pseudo reggae of 'Telling Stories' offers itself up as the simplest song on the album, but one that’s hard not to smile, foot tap or finger click along to.
The down-tempo break-up title track ("Those Demons, they never seem to go away, so I play…") is not just a surprising highlight, it also sets up the album’s lighter, more reflective and lyrically observational second half.
'Demons' is followed by 'Little White Lies.' The song retains the broken relationship melancholy of the title track but here the relationship is about how long you can be there for someone who is being less than honest about their ‘habits’ ("you fucked up again with the wrong friends – it happens every time; I can’t predict the future but I know how this will end").
'Melodie,' a friendship-love song of sorts, is the mid-tempo acoustic companion piece to 'Let Your Guard Down;' following number, the musically endearing & lyrically soul-baring ballad 'Spin Another Web' is the album's most melancholic and contemplative moment ("When I look in the mirror, will you be looking back… I’m still figuring out how to keep going, when all that I’ve known is the past").
The weightiest number on Demons, certainly lyrically, is closing track 'Unity.'
A rhythmic, gospel-pop plea for equality (yet also celebratory), the song lyrically traces race history, culture and the Black Lives Matter movement which, as Matt Hickman is well aware, is far from something that just materialised in 2020 (albeit that’s when it was so dramatically highlighted).
That Brownbear may have finally and deservedly gotten a couple more steps up the ladder of music respect and recognition was proven by a sold-out album launch show at St Luke in Glasgow followed by a Top 10 chart placing in the Official Scottish Album Charts for Demons within its first week of release.
That said nothing is guaranteed in the 21st century music world where marketable commodity is valued higher than musical creativity (and that aforementioned ladder is a slippery rung’d bastard).
But those positives do point to the potential break-out success Matt Hickman has always deserved.
Nor is Mr Hickman forgetting his small town/ small venue beginnings; true to his art and love of more intimate performance, he will undertake a Demons Acoustic Album Tour that takes in island venues and locations that tend to be ignored or neglected by bigger promoters and bookers (dates below).
Matt Hickman and Brownbear – shaking off the Demons of an uncertain world, in honest and unashamed Indie-pop style.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Demons Acoustic Album Tour
(support from Jamie Coleman)
April 25th – Mull, An Tobar
April 27th – Skye, Skye Bridge Studios
April 28th – Stornoway, An Lanntair
May 4th – Galashiels, Mac Arts
May 5th – Greenock, Beacon Arts Centre
May 6th – Irvine, Harbour Arts Centre
May 11th – Pittenweem, Bread & Butter
May 12th – Full Band performance - Edinburgh, The Caves
Tickets available from brownbearofficial.com
The Hickman penned Brownbear sound was first heard (in full studio album terms) on 2018 debut What Is Home?, an acoustic based Indie folk affair that caught some deserved attention.
Now, five years on with an album those same five years in the making (Matt Hickman lyrically tracking through the pandemic, lockdowns, personal experiences and honest social commentary), comes Demons, and even stronger, larger sounding work that has already garnered more attention than the debut.
The album opens with a one-two salvo of Indie power-pop with, first, the rockin’ rhythm of 'All I Want' followed by the Modish big beat of the melodically infectious 'Close Call' (one of a handful of songs on the album to be punctuated with horns of brass effects).
Third number 'Let Your Guard Down' is the acoustic/ Indie-folk side of Brownbear/ Matt Hickman; a warm and charming mid-tempo that lyrically confirms it’s OK to reach out on occasion to a world you feel "has let you down."
'Take Your Time' then delivers some sixties-styled soul-pop groove before the acoustic based, pseudo reggae of 'Telling Stories' offers itself up as the simplest song on the album, but one that’s hard not to smile, foot tap or finger click along to.
The down-tempo break-up title track ("Those Demons, they never seem to go away, so I play…") is not just a surprising highlight, it also sets up the album’s lighter, more reflective and lyrically observational second half.
'Demons' is followed by 'Little White Lies.' The song retains the broken relationship melancholy of the title track but here the relationship is about how long you can be there for someone who is being less than honest about their ‘habits’ ("you fucked up again with the wrong friends – it happens every time; I can’t predict the future but I know how this will end").
'Melodie,' a friendship-love song of sorts, is the mid-tempo acoustic companion piece to 'Let Your Guard Down;' following number, the musically endearing & lyrically soul-baring ballad 'Spin Another Web' is the album's most melancholic and contemplative moment ("When I look in the mirror, will you be looking back… I’m still figuring out how to keep going, when all that I’ve known is the past").
The weightiest number on Demons, certainly lyrically, is closing track 'Unity.'
A rhythmic, gospel-pop plea for equality (yet also celebratory), the song lyrically traces race history, culture and the Black Lives Matter movement which, as Matt Hickman is well aware, is far from something that just materialised in 2020 (albeit that’s when it was so dramatically highlighted).
That Brownbear may have finally and deservedly gotten a couple more steps up the ladder of music respect and recognition was proven by a sold-out album launch show at St Luke in Glasgow followed by a Top 10 chart placing in the Official Scottish Album Charts for Demons within its first week of release.
That said nothing is guaranteed in the 21st century music world where marketable commodity is valued higher than musical creativity (and that aforementioned ladder is a slippery rung’d bastard).
But those positives do point to the potential break-out success Matt Hickman has always deserved.
Nor is Mr Hickman forgetting his small town/ small venue beginnings; true to his art and love of more intimate performance, he will undertake a Demons Acoustic Album Tour that takes in island venues and locations that tend to be ignored or neglected by bigger promoters and bookers (dates below).
Matt Hickman and Brownbear – shaking off the Demons of an uncertain world, in honest and unashamed Indie-pop style.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Demons Acoustic Album Tour
(support from Jamie Coleman)
April 25th – Mull, An Tobar
April 27th – Skye, Skye Bridge Studios
April 28th – Stornoway, An Lanntair
May 4th – Galashiels, Mac Arts
May 5th – Greenock, Beacon Arts Centre
May 6th – Irvine, Harbour Arts Centre
May 11th – Pittenweem, Bread & Butter
May 12th – Full Band performance - Edinburgh, The Caves
Tickets available from brownbearofficial.com
Hawkwind – The Future Never Waits
The Future Never Waits, and neither do Hawkwind it seems, who have become quite prolific of late.
This is the band's fifth studio album (six when including the Hawkwind Light Orchestra lockdown album Carnivorous) in seven years, along with two live albums and a 6CD 50th Anniversary anthology in that same time-frame.
But, for those of us of a space-rock age, you learn to approach a new Hawkwind studio album with a healthy mix of trepidation and excitement because, let's be honest, they have dropped the ball on occasion (the late 90s and early noughties immediately come to mind).
Thankfully The Future Never Waits (the first studio album to feature the seemingly ageless Dave Brock (guitars, vocals, keys), 35 year Hawkwind veteran Richard Chadwick (drums, vocals) and Magnus Martin (guitars, vocals, keys) in the company of new Hawk-boys Doug MacKinnon (bass) and Thighpaulsandra (aka Welsh experimental musician Tim Lewis) on synths and keys) shows that, even in their 54th year (with about the same number of band members and line ups), they can still surprise with something just that little bit different, yet still unmistakably Hawkwind.
The album opens with the ambient and wholly instrumental title track, a synth laden, ten-minute tick-tock of time that’s guaranteed to catch a few fans out, especially those expecting or anticipating the chugging rhythm or wailing lead lines of Dave Brock’s guitar to kick in (which never happens).
'The End,' however, does indeed feature those trademark vocals and thick, chugging riffs before further surprises appear in the shape of, first, 'Aldous Huxley,' a dreamier, synths & piano piece named after and based around (via audio samples of old recordings) the famous English writer & philosopher of Brave New World fame.
The primarily instrumental 'They Are So Easily Distracted' (ten minutes of futuristic lounge-jazz meeting ambient space-rock in the company of piano, synths, saxophone and melodically employed guitar solos) is another departure of sorts but this is what Hawkwind are good at – they can throw something new and different into the mix and yet it’s still, unmistakably, a Hawkwind song.
The sci-fi slanted and space grooving 'Rama (The Prophecy),' which opens with a line from cult classic B-movie The Brain From Planet Arous (1957), harkens back to early 80s Hawkwind (no bad thing).
The spacey blues of instrumental 'USB1' then acts as a mid-album interlude before 'Outside of Time' offers unearthly, spacey ambience.
'I’m Learning To Live Today' is the closest Hawkwind come to the heavy space-rock of yesteryear (certainly in terms of guitars & synth-scapes) but the musical reality is there’s very little on this album to remind of that era; it will therefore be interesting to see how the "purists" (i.e. the prog-warriors still stuck On the Edge of 70s Time) take to this album.
The eight-and-a-half minute 'The Beginning' and the much shorter 'Trapped in This Modern Age' make for a musically interesting and intriguing finale.
The former opens in highly disconcerting and dark style (a voice telling you to "upload your consciousness here and leave your body at the door marked incinerator" is disembodied punishment for those whose carbon based physicality made a mess of the environment) before a tangential shift takes the song into piano & acoustic backed psychedelic Beatles/ ELO/ lower-voiced Bee Gees territory.
'Trapped in This Modern Age' continues that classic-pop theme but this time with a discernible Lynne & Wood ELO vibe (one that’s not too far removed from '10538 Overture').
If, after more than half-a-century you think you've heard it all from Hawkwind... think again.
Campbell Stewart & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Future Never Waits will be released on CD and 2LP Vinyl on 28th April.
Pre-order CD here
Pre-order Vilyl here
This is the band's fifth studio album (six when including the Hawkwind Light Orchestra lockdown album Carnivorous) in seven years, along with two live albums and a 6CD 50th Anniversary anthology in that same time-frame.
But, for those of us of a space-rock age, you learn to approach a new Hawkwind studio album with a healthy mix of trepidation and excitement because, let's be honest, they have dropped the ball on occasion (the late 90s and early noughties immediately come to mind).
Thankfully The Future Never Waits (the first studio album to feature the seemingly ageless Dave Brock (guitars, vocals, keys), 35 year Hawkwind veteran Richard Chadwick (drums, vocals) and Magnus Martin (guitars, vocals, keys) in the company of new Hawk-boys Doug MacKinnon (bass) and Thighpaulsandra (aka Welsh experimental musician Tim Lewis) on synths and keys) shows that, even in their 54th year (with about the same number of band members and line ups), they can still surprise with something just that little bit different, yet still unmistakably Hawkwind.
The album opens with the ambient and wholly instrumental title track, a synth laden, ten-minute tick-tock of time that’s guaranteed to catch a few fans out, especially those expecting or anticipating the chugging rhythm or wailing lead lines of Dave Brock’s guitar to kick in (which never happens).
'The End,' however, does indeed feature those trademark vocals and thick, chugging riffs before further surprises appear in the shape of, first, 'Aldous Huxley,' a dreamier, synths & piano piece named after and based around (via audio samples of old recordings) the famous English writer & philosopher of Brave New World fame.
The primarily instrumental 'They Are So Easily Distracted' (ten minutes of futuristic lounge-jazz meeting ambient space-rock in the company of piano, synths, saxophone and melodically employed guitar solos) is another departure of sorts but this is what Hawkwind are good at – they can throw something new and different into the mix and yet it’s still, unmistakably, a Hawkwind song.
The sci-fi slanted and space grooving 'Rama (The Prophecy),' which opens with a line from cult classic B-movie The Brain From Planet Arous (1957), harkens back to early 80s Hawkwind (no bad thing).
The spacey blues of instrumental 'USB1' then acts as a mid-album interlude before 'Outside of Time' offers unearthly, spacey ambience.
'I’m Learning To Live Today' is the closest Hawkwind come to the heavy space-rock of yesteryear (certainly in terms of guitars & synth-scapes) but the musical reality is there’s very little on this album to remind of that era; it will therefore be interesting to see how the "purists" (i.e. the prog-warriors still stuck On the Edge of 70s Time) take to this album.
The eight-and-a-half minute 'The Beginning' and the much shorter 'Trapped in This Modern Age' make for a musically interesting and intriguing finale.
The former opens in highly disconcerting and dark style (a voice telling you to "upload your consciousness here and leave your body at the door marked incinerator" is disembodied punishment for those whose carbon based physicality made a mess of the environment) before a tangential shift takes the song into piano & acoustic backed psychedelic Beatles/ ELO/ lower-voiced Bee Gees territory.
'Trapped in This Modern Age' continues that classic-pop theme but this time with a discernible Lynne & Wood ELO vibe (one that’s not too far removed from '10538 Overture').
If, after more than half-a-century you think you've heard it all from Hawkwind... think again.
Campbell Stewart & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Future Never Waits will be released on CD and 2LP Vinyl on 28th April.
Pre-order CD here
Pre-order Vilyl here
Steve Dawson - Eyes Closed, Dreaming
Nashville based Canadian singer-songwriter Steve Dawson (the Juno award winner is also a producer, sideman, label owner and podcast host) has started 2023 the way he musically entertained/ explored in 2022 with Eyes Closed, Dreaming.
The album is also Dawson's third album in a year, primarily because he had lockdown time to write a large collection of songs during that pandemic restrictive period.
The results were enough material for three albums that collectively make for an enjoyable triple Dawson dovetailing, each with its own identity.
First album of the three, Gone, Long Gone, featured nine songs mostly co-written with Alberta songwriter Matt Patershuk; that highly successful team-up led to Steve Dawson’s most all-encompassing release to date – a delicious mix of roots, folk & blues with influences from Nashville to Hawaii.
Phantom Threshold, released five months later, was a wholly instrumental album that featured Steve Dawson’s delightful and deeply immersive pedal steel surrounded by a multitude of keyboards (from moog and mellotron to Wurlitzer and pump organ) that added further sonic textures.
And so to Eyes Closed, Dreaming, released one year after Gone, Long Gone.
Much like that album the third instalment of Steve Dawson’s "pandemic trilogy" is a rootsy and folky affair but with lighter, melodic warmth and a sometimes (as title-reflected) dreamier stylisation; it features four originals co-written with Matt Patershuk and a selection of choice cover interpretations.
Nor does it hurt that Dawson has once again called in the support of friends who happen to be some of the best North American roots musicians around.
Joining the studio/ house band of Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass) and keys players Chris Gestrin & Kevin McKendree are Fats Kaplin & Tim O’Brien (mandolin & strings), Ben Plotnik (viola/ violin), Kaitlyn Raitz (cello), a horn section, drummer Jay Bellerose (five tracks), singer Allison Russell (three tracks) and additional vocals from Keri Latimer & Steve Dawson’s daughter, Casey Dawson.
Opener, the Ian & Sylvia / Great Speckled Bird number 'Long Time to Get Old,' featuring Allison Russell on harmony & backing vocals, has a lovely Nashville inspired country charm about it but it’s simply the appetiser to lighter delicacies.
All four Dawson-Patershuk compositions stand tall as storytelling fulcrum points of the album, from acoustic led roots-country number 'The Gift' and the string accompanied 'Hemingway' to the slightly ethereal acoustic folk-blues of 'The Owl' and memory reflective ballad 'Polaroid,' which title fittingly creates poignant imagery through its lyrics ("I like to think about the way that they were made, light reflected from your face onto this very page, like some real life piece of you trapped in celluloid… Polaroid").
Each of the other covers also make their mark however, from traditional olde folk ballad 'House Carpenter' and a soulful, horns accompanied take of Bobby Charles' 'Small Town Talk' to Cowboy Jack Clement’s 'I Guess Things Happen That Way' (made famous by Johnny Cash) and a delightful solo piece (Steve Dawson and Weissenborn guitar) in the finger picking shape of John Hartford’s 'Let Him Go On Mama.'
As befits the best Steve Dawson albums, there are also a couple of instrumentals – new piece 'Waikiki Stonewall Rag' (think Django Reinhardt in a Hawaiian shirt) and a wonderful jazz cornet to guitar transposition of the Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra & Bix Beiderbecke version of 'Singin’ The Blues.'
That this is yet another beautifully crafted release from Steve Dawson (one of his best to date) makes it all the more third-album-in-a-year noteworthy – but that’s not really a surprise, given the quality of Dawson’s catalogue and the esteem and regard with which the multi-talented musician is held in roots music and its broader-scoped, Dawson-ised setting.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Eyes Closed, Dreaming will be released on Black Hen Music on 24th March
Pre-order: https://li.sten.to/EyesClosed
The album is also Dawson's third album in a year, primarily because he had lockdown time to write a large collection of songs during that pandemic restrictive period.
The results were enough material for three albums that collectively make for an enjoyable triple Dawson dovetailing, each with its own identity.
First album of the three, Gone, Long Gone, featured nine songs mostly co-written with Alberta songwriter Matt Patershuk; that highly successful team-up led to Steve Dawson’s most all-encompassing release to date – a delicious mix of roots, folk & blues with influences from Nashville to Hawaii.
Phantom Threshold, released five months later, was a wholly instrumental album that featured Steve Dawson’s delightful and deeply immersive pedal steel surrounded by a multitude of keyboards (from moog and mellotron to Wurlitzer and pump organ) that added further sonic textures.
And so to Eyes Closed, Dreaming, released one year after Gone, Long Gone.
Much like that album the third instalment of Steve Dawson’s "pandemic trilogy" is a rootsy and folky affair but with lighter, melodic warmth and a sometimes (as title-reflected) dreamier stylisation; it features four originals co-written with Matt Patershuk and a selection of choice cover interpretations.
Nor does it hurt that Dawson has once again called in the support of friends who happen to be some of the best North American roots musicians around.
Joining the studio/ house band of Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass) and keys players Chris Gestrin & Kevin McKendree are Fats Kaplin & Tim O’Brien (mandolin & strings), Ben Plotnik (viola/ violin), Kaitlyn Raitz (cello), a horn section, drummer Jay Bellerose (five tracks), singer Allison Russell (three tracks) and additional vocals from Keri Latimer & Steve Dawson’s daughter, Casey Dawson.
Opener, the Ian & Sylvia / Great Speckled Bird number 'Long Time to Get Old,' featuring Allison Russell on harmony & backing vocals, has a lovely Nashville inspired country charm about it but it’s simply the appetiser to lighter delicacies.
All four Dawson-Patershuk compositions stand tall as storytelling fulcrum points of the album, from acoustic led roots-country number 'The Gift' and the string accompanied 'Hemingway' to the slightly ethereal acoustic folk-blues of 'The Owl' and memory reflective ballad 'Polaroid,' which title fittingly creates poignant imagery through its lyrics ("I like to think about the way that they were made, light reflected from your face onto this very page, like some real life piece of you trapped in celluloid… Polaroid").
Each of the other covers also make their mark however, from traditional olde folk ballad 'House Carpenter' and a soulful, horns accompanied take of Bobby Charles' 'Small Town Talk' to Cowboy Jack Clement’s 'I Guess Things Happen That Way' (made famous by Johnny Cash) and a delightful solo piece (Steve Dawson and Weissenborn guitar) in the finger picking shape of John Hartford’s 'Let Him Go On Mama.'
As befits the best Steve Dawson albums, there are also a couple of instrumentals – new piece 'Waikiki Stonewall Rag' (think Django Reinhardt in a Hawaiian shirt) and a wonderful jazz cornet to guitar transposition of the Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra & Bix Beiderbecke version of 'Singin’ The Blues.'
That this is yet another beautifully crafted release from Steve Dawson (one of his best to date) makes it all the more third-album-in-a-year noteworthy – but that’s not really a surprise, given the quality of Dawson’s catalogue and the esteem and regard with which the multi-talented musician is held in roots music and its broader-scoped, Dawson-ised setting.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Eyes Closed, Dreaming will be released on Black Hen Music on 24th March
Pre-order: https://li.sten.to/EyesClosed
Elles Bailey - Shining In The Half Light : Deluxe Edition
A re-issue thirteen months after an album’s original release – albeit a nine additional tracks Deluxe Edition – may seem promotionally presumptuous.
But, in the case of roots-blues songstress Elles Bailey and Shining In The Half Light it’s merited, especially given the across the roots and blues rock board acclaim for the album, the genuine demand from fans for more material and it’s dovetailing release with Bailey’s pandemic delayed 2023 spring UK tour.
The pandemic and ensuing lockdowns also play a part on SITHL, as heard on opener 'Cheats and Liars.'
The song, with its chain gang styled backbone, lyrically finger points at governmental indifference toward the arts and artists shackled during recent lockdown times.
It’s an understated yet impacting opening that sets up the broader blues picture of Shining in the Half Light, as laid down by Elles Bailey and her core band of Joe Wilkins (guitars), Jonny Henderson (keys), Matthew Waer (bass), Matthew Jones (drums) and backing singers Izo Fitzroy, Andrusilla Mosely & Jade Elliot (and, on two of the ten songs, guitarist Kris Donegan).
Following number 'The Game' is a rootsy, foot tapping blues delight (with great slide work from Joe Wilkins) while the swampy 'Stones' features clever vocal and guitar tandem lines and sparingly used but highly effective backing vocals (bringing in singer Izo Fitzroy to utilise her talents as a vocal arranger was a mini master stroke).
Kudos here too for the choice of producer – Elles Bailey and rock producer Dan Weller swim in very different musical waters but Weller has captured exactly what Elles Bailey and her band are all about (nod here too for the excellent mix by Steve Blackmon).
The Gospel tinged 'Colours Start to Run' and ballad 'Different Kind of Love' allow the husky tones of Elles Bailey to shine not in half-light but the full spotlight glow of emotive and beautifully phrased vocality (with kudos again to the backing vocals).
The lyrically darker 'Who’s That' is slow, sultry and not a little soul-hypnotic; by contrast 'Sunshine City' is a mighty fine slice of Nashville styled rock and roll with a side of slide boogie.
Even more Nashville is bittersweet blues number 'Halfway House;’ it’s followed by the bluesy AOR soul of 'Riding Out the Storm,' which carries similar regret lyricism ("oh what a beautiful mess we have made of this story… where did it all go wrong?).
The original release closed out on the semi-atmospheric title track, a spacey blues that nods to the half-light of lockdown and lack of contact (given Elles Bailey was six months pregnant at the time of recording, it's fitting the album was also conceived and birthed through lockdown).
Adding to the Half Light mix of the Deluxe Edition are two new originals and two choice covers (here featuring backing vocals from Grace Lightman, Elio Evangelou and Kat Marsh).
'Spinning Stopped' is a delightful and delicate roots-lullaby to becoming a mother in the midst of a pandemic while 'Hole in My Pocket' is a rootsy and rhythmically swaying gem that kicks into high gear for its boogie-gospel finale.
The covers are a great roots 'n' roll take of John Martyn’s travelling home classic 'Over The Hill' and a New Orleans blues styled take of the Creedence Clearwater Revival/ John Fogerty-penned 'Long As I See The Light,' which also lyrically nods to the homeward journey.
Additionally, bowing to fan demand, Miss Bailey and band offer up five SITHL songs recorded live at The Pool.
The quintet are on-point renditions of 'Riding Out The Storm,' 'Stones,' 'The Game,' 'Sunshine City' and a beautifully vocalised 'Halfway House.'
As excellent as SITHL is, the Deluxe Edition has it shining even brighter, in the full blown light of a leading voice (in every way) of British roots blues.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Shining In The Half Light : Deluxe Edition is available on all digital platforms and CD.
Purchase links: https://ellesbaileypreorder.com/collections/all
But, in the case of roots-blues songstress Elles Bailey and Shining In The Half Light it’s merited, especially given the across the roots and blues rock board acclaim for the album, the genuine demand from fans for more material and it’s dovetailing release with Bailey’s pandemic delayed 2023 spring UK tour.
The pandemic and ensuing lockdowns also play a part on SITHL, as heard on opener 'Cheats and Liars.'
The song, with its chain gang styled backbone, lyrically finger points at governmental indifference toward the arts and artists shackled during recent lockdown times.
It’s an understated yet impacting opening that sets up the broader blues picture of Shining in the Half Light, as laid down by Elles Bailey and her core band of Joe Wilkins (guitars), Jonny Henderson (keys), Matthew Waer (bass), Matthew Jones (drums) and backing singers Izo Fitzroy, Andrusilla Mosely & Jade Elliot (and, on two of the ten songs, guitarist Kris Donegan).
Following number 'The Game' is a rootsy, foot tapping blues delight (with great slide work from Joe Wilkins) while the swampy 'Stones' features clever vocal and guitar tandem lines and sparingly used but highly effective backing vocals (bringing in singer Izo Fitzroy to utilise her talents as a vocal arranger was a mini master stroke).
Kudos here too for the choice of producer – Elles Bailey and rock producer Dan Weller swim in very different musical waters but Weller has captured exactly what Elles Bailey and her band are all about (nod here too for the excellent mix by Steve Blackmon).
The Gospel tinged 'Colours Start to Run' and ballad 'Different Kind of Love' allow the husky tones of Elles Bailey to shine not in half-light but the full spotlight glow of emotive and beautifully phrased vocality (with kudos again to the backing vocals).
The lyrically darker 'Who’s That' is slow, sultry and not a little soul-hypnotic; by contrast 'Sunshine City' is a mighty fine slice of Nashville styled rock and roll with a side of slide boogie.
Even more Nashville is bittersweet blues number 'Halfway House;’ it’s followed by the bluesy AOR soul of 'Riding Out the Storm,' which carries similar regret lyricism ("oh what a beautiful mess we have made of this story… where did it all go wrong?).
The original release closed out on the semi-atmospheric title track, a spacey blues that nods to the half-light of lockdown and lack of contact (given Elles Bailey was six months pregnant at the time of recording, it's fitting the album was also conceived and birthed through lockdown).
Adding to the Half Light mix of the Deluxe Edition are two new originals and two choice covers (here featuring backing vocals from Grace Lightman, Elio Evangelou and Kat Marsh).
'Spinning Stopped' is a delightful and delicate roots-lullaby to becoming a mother in the midst of a pandemic while 'Hole in My Pocket' is a rootsy and rhythmically swaying gem that kicks into high gear for its boogie-gospel finale.
The covers are a great roots 'n' roll take of John Martyn’s travelling home classic 'Over The Hill' and a New Orleans blues styled take of the Creedence Clearwater Revival/ John Fogerty-penned 'Long As I See The Light,' which also lyrically nods to the homeward journey.
Additionally, bowing to fan demand, Miss Bailey and band offer up five SITHL songs recorded live at The Pool.
The quintet are on-point renditions of 'Riding Out The Storm,' 'Stones,' 'The Game,' 'Sunshine City' and a beautifully vocalised 'Halfway House.'
As excellent as SITHL is, the Deluxe Edition has it shining even brighter, in the full blown light of a leading voice (in every way) of British roots blues.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Shining In The Half Light : Deluxe Edition is available on all digital platforms and CD.
Purchase links: https://ellesbaileypreorder.com/collections/all
Connor Selby - Connor Selby (Deluxe Edition)
Twenty-four-year old British blues singer-guitarist-songwriter Connor Selby first caught attention with 2018 debut album Made Up My Mind and some noteworthy live performances (including a prestigious Wembley Stadium support slot to The Who in 2019).
Made Up My Mind also showcased a fairly mature singer for his age (mid-range vocality with bari-tenor warmth) and an equally mature player, one influenced by US blues and soul blues, from the more traitional sounding ('You Hurt Me') to 60s blues-beat ('See it Through') and coastal/ driving blues (the title track).
There was even room for a little light muscle flexing (the 70s affected and Hammond backed 'Help Me').
2021’s follow-up could only have been named Connor Selby because it’s very much who young Mr Selby musically is – or more accurately an impressive pointer to the blues player he wants to be and, with a fair blues wind, will become; smooth-blues and classy licks along with more focussed playing and more confident vocals.
That the album now has a bigger platform from which to be broadcast (courtesy of a Deluxe Edition release via Provogue) will do Connor Selby no harm whatsoever, coming as it does with four new tracks and, in a perfectly planned blues offensive, a release date that coincided with Selby kicking off his special guest role on Beth Hart’s spring UK & Ireland tour.
Those unfamiliar with the album will enjoy what is a predominately laid back, light and breezy US soul-blues sound, typified by slow-paced opener 'I Can’t Let You Go,' led by a semi-conversational vocal style (harking back to the old-school US bluesmen) and accompanied by horns, keys and not one but two joyously expressive solos.
The funkier, female vocals backed 'Falling In Love Again' and the slow barroom blues of 'If You’re Gonna Leave Me' (with cool piano and guitar solo) add variation to Selby’s old school US blues theme – indeed if not for his more neutral accent/ vocality you’d be forgiven for thinking he was from the Chicago blues scene.
That said the riffier 'Emily,' with a short but sharply impressive solo, sounds like its origins should be placed slightly further south.
Blues ballad 'Man I Ought to Be' has an ever so subtle sound of Nashville about it while 'Hear My Prayer' is Nashville, in all its acoustic led, female vocals backed, country-pop glory.
The soul-funk fun of 'Show Me' ups the tempo before the pace is dropped again for, first, the piano-led gospel blues of 'Anyhow,' followed by the breezy and mellow charm of 'Waitin’ On the Day.'
The contemplative 'Starting Again,' the longest song on the album at over seven-and-a-half-minutes, is a simply arranged (atop piano and Hammond) but highly effective ballad that really only moves into second gear for the soulful and satisfying cry of Connor Selby’s short finale solo.
Those already familiar with the album will find it’s well worth the revisit, given the quality of the bonus tracks.
'I Shouldn’t Care' returns to the mid-tempo, Hammond 'n' horns soul-blues that Connor Selby does so well while the slower 'Love Letter to the Blues' is about as autobiographical as Selby is ever likely to get:
"I know what I was put on this earth to do, that’s why I am gonna keep on singing the blues."
The funky R&B of the Percy Mayfield penned 'My Baby Don’t Dig Me' (here with great duck-honking sax) pays pretty faithful homage to the 1964 Ray Charles original before the Deluxe Edition closes out on the lazy, soul-blues appeal of 'The Deep End' (complete with groovy Hammond solo).
Connor Selby, voted Young Artist of the Year at the last three UK Blues Awards (and nominated in four categories for the 2023 edition) is, like young Toby Lee (and Laurence Jones before them), an up and coming British blues scene talent that has already untapped some of his potential.
That he has such potential is unarguable; for proof, just check out Connor Selby Deluxe Edition.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Made Up My Mind also showcased a fairly mature singer for his age (mid-range vocality with bari-tenor warmth) and an equally mature player, one influenced by US blues and soul blues, from the more traitional sounding ('You Hurt Me') to 60s blues-beat ('See it Through') and coastal/ driving blues (the title track).
There was even room for a little light muscle flexing (the 70s affected and Hammond backed 'Help Me').
2021’s follow-up could only have been named Connor Selby because it’s very much who young Mr Selby musically is – or more accurately an impressive pointer to the blues player he wants to be and, with a fair blues wind, will become; smooth-blues and classy licks along with more focussed playing and more confident vocals.
That the album now has a bigger platform from which to be broadcast (courtesy of a Deluxe Edition release via Provogue) will do Connor Selby no harm whatsoever, coming as it does with four new tracks and, in a perfectly planned blues offensive, a release date that coincided with Selby kicking off his special guest role on Beth Hart’s spring UK & Ireland tour.
Those unfamiliar with the album will enjoy what is a predominately laid back, light and breezy US soul-blues sound, typified by slow-paced opener 'I Can’t Let You Go,' led by a semi-conversational vocal style (harking back to the old-school US bluesmen) and accompanied by horns, keys and not one but two joyously expressive solos.
The funkier, female vocals backed 'Falling In Love Again' and the slow barroom blues of 'If You’re Gonna Leave Me' (with cool piano and guitar solo) add variation to Selby’s old school US blues theme – indeed if not for his more neutral accent/ vocality you’d be forgiven for thinking he was from the Chicago blues scene.
That said the riffier 'Emily,' with a short but sharply impressive solo, sounds like its origins should be placed slightly further south.
Blues ballad 'Man I Ought to Be' has an ever so subtle sound of Nashville about it while 'Hear My Prayer' is Nashville, in all its acoustic led, female vocals backed, country-pop glory.
The soul-funk fun of 'Show Me' ups the tempo before the pace is dropped again for, first, the piano-led gospel blues of 'Anyhow,' followed by the breezy and mellow charm of 'Waitin’ On the Day.'
The contemplative 'Starting Again,' the longest song on the album at over seven-and-a-half-minutes, is a simply arranged (atop piano and Hammond) but highly effective ballad that really only moves into second gear for the soulful and satisfying cry of Connor Selby’s short finale solo.
Those already familiar with the album will find it’s well worth the revisit, given the quality of the bonus tracks.
'I Shouldn’t Care' returns to the mid-tempo, Hammond 'n' horns soul-blues that Connor Selby does so well while the slower 'Love Letter to the Blues' is about as autobiographical as Selby is ever likely to get:
"I know what I was put on this earth to do, that’s why I am gonna keep on singing the blues."
The funky R&B of the Percy Mayfield penned 'My Baby Don’t Dig Me' (here with great duck-honking sax) pays pretty faithful homage to the 1964 Ray Charles original before the Deluxe Edition closes out on the lazy, soul-blues appeal of 'The Deep End' (complete with groovy Hammond solo).
Connor Selby, voted Young Artist of the Year at the last three UK Blues Awards (and nominated in four categories for the 2023 edition) is, like young Toby Lee (and Laurence Jones before them), an up and coming British blues scene talent that has already untapped some of his potential.
That he has such potential is unarguable; for proof, just check out Connor Selby Deluxe Edition.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Answer - Sundowners
"Come follow me!" lyrically cried singer Cormac Neeson back in 2006; and we did, when the Rise of Northern Irish rock quartet The Answer (Neeson, Paul Mahon - guitars, Micky Waters - bass, James Wheatley - drums) was championed by Planet Rock, many a major rock outlet and a rapidly growing fan base.
Rise, commonly cited as giving birth to the New Wave Of Classic Rock movement, was a heady and impressive mix of classic & contemporary rock but The Answer, on the back of prestigious Rolling Stones and AC/DC supports, never became the hugely successful/ major headline act many predicted.
Following album Everyday Demons was a mixed review bag (lyrically snarly but too musically angry) and while each subsequent album had something to offer, none of them, other than third release Revival, broke the UK Top 40; the soundscape rock of 2016’s excellent Solas album broadened the band’s sound to fine effect however.
So to 2023 and, after a seven year studio hiatus, the band’s seventh, appropriately enough, studio album, Sundowners.
The band have stated how proud they are of Sundowners, believing it to be their best to date, and you can understand why – fired up to be back in a studio after such a lengthy break, coupled with the big beat, up-tempo nature of most of the eleven tracks, it would be natural to be so energised.
However outside the confines of those studio walls the result, rather ironically, is the band that kick-started the NWOCR playing seven years catch-up to a musically shifting rock land, chasing the tails of those plying their trade successfully in the heavy blues-rock department of the NWOCR (where Sundowners musically sits), the Solas sound seemingly a thing of the past.
That all said, there are some really good songs here – the rhythmically pulsating and bluesy title track makes for a fairly strong opening (but, by its overly long intro and repeating nature, is over-cooked at six-and-a-half minutes) while the big-beat groove of the simple but effective 'Blood Brother' showcases a song geared for live performance, as is the case with the similarly beat-driven, good time rock and roll of 'Livin' On the Line' and 'Cold Heart,' both with infectious hook-choruses.
Additionally, the incorporation of throaty organ on a number of songs, such as the 70s rock meets blues-rock of 'California Rust,' helps push the blues quotient but it's sometimes too low in the mix to be fully effective (similarly the occasional use of harmonica).
Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow, Those Damn Crows) was at the controls for production & mixing duties but for whatever reason the sound is not very distinct; the result is a (sometimes treated) sound that dulls the impact of songs already struggling to separate themselves from the rock-blues pack such as 'Oh Cherry,' 'All Together' and 'Get Back On It,' the latter akin to a heavier groove version of Billy Squier’s 'The Stroke' (the song that launched a thousand shout-a-long copies).
'No Salvation' offers nice change of gospel-tinged blues pace and the softer & soulful beginnings of 'Always Alright' makes for a nice album closer but, like the opener, is overly-stretched (a fitting but overly repetitive second half detracts from the delicacy of its acoustic & percussive first half).
The Answer were, and remain, a vibrant and impacting live act – and, as stated above, there are some very good songs on display here, all of which will sound even better when let loose live.
But will Sundowners be a contender for rock album of the year at FabricationsHQ? (which it invariably will elsewhere; it will also undoubtedly be their highest charting album to date given the anticipation and sales numbers needed to dent the Top 20 these days).
Unlikely, is The Answer.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Rise, commonly cited as giving birth to the New Wave Of Classic Rock movement, was a heady and impressive mix of classic & contemporary rock but The Answer, on the back of prestigious Rolling Stones and AC/DC supports, never became the hugely successful/ major headline act many predicted.
Following album Everyday Demons was a mixed review bag (lyrically snarly but too musically angry) and while each subsequent album had something to offer, none of them, other than third release Revival, broke the UK Top 40; the soundscape rock of 2016’s excellent Solas album broadened the band’s sound to fine effect however.
So to 2023 and, after a seven year studio hiatus, the band’s seventh, appropriately enough, studio album, Sundowners.
The band have stated how proud they are of Sundowners, believing it to be their best to date, and you can understand why – fired up to be back in a studio after such a lengthy break, coupled with the big beat, up-tempo nature of most of the eleven tracks, it would be natural to be so energised.
However outside the confines of those studio walls the result, rather ironically, is the band that kick-started the NWOCR playing seven years catch-up to a musically shifting rock land, chasing the tails of those plying their trade successfully in the heavy blues-rock department of the NWOCR (where Sundowners musically sits), the Solas sound seemingly a thing of the past.
That all said, there are some really good songs here – the rhythmically pulsating and bluesy title track makes for a fairly strong opening (but, by its overly long intro and repeating nature, is over-cooked at six-and-a-half minutes) while the big-beat groove of the simple but effective 'Blood Brother' showcases a song geared for live performance, as is the case with the similarly beat-driven, good time rock and roll of 'Livin' On the Line' and 'Cold Heart,' both with infectious hook-choruses.
Additionally, the incorporation of throaty organ on a number of songs, such as the 70s rock meets blues-rock of 'California Rust,' helps push the blues quotient but it's sometimes too low in the mix to be fully effective (similarly the occasional use of harmonica).
Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow, Those Damn Crows) was at the controls for production & mixing duties but for whatever reason the sound is not very distinct; the result is a (sometimes treated) sound that dulls the impact of songs already struggling to separate themselves from the rock-blues pack such as 'Oh Cherry,' 'All Together' and 'Get Back On It,' the latter akin to a heavier groove version of Billy Squier’s 'The Stroke' (the song that launched a thousand shout-a-long copies).
'No Salvation' offers nice change of gospel-tinged blues pace and the softer & soulful beginnings of 'Always Alright' makes for a nice album closer but, like the opener, is overly-stretched (a fitting but overly repetitive second half detracts from the delicacy of its acoustic & percussive first half).
The Answer were, and remain, a vibrant and impacting live act – and, as stated above, there are some very good songs on display here, all of which will sound even better when let loose live.
But will Sundowners be a contender for rock album of the year at FabricationsHQ? (which it invariably will elsewhere; it will also undoubtedly be their highest charting album to date given the anticipation and sales numbers needed to dent the Top 20 these days).
Unlikely, is The Answer.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Oli Brown & The Dead Collective
Originally seen and heard as a noted bluesman on the circuit (a Best Guitarist nod at the British Blues Awards and supporting the likes of Joe Satriani and Buddy Guy), British singer-guitarist-songwriter Oli Brown then changed direction to form highly contemporary alt-rock outfit RavenEye.
(Although short-lived, RavenEye had two acclaimed releases and enjoyed international tours with Slash, Deep Purple and Aerosmith, no less).
As impacting as RavenEye were, Oli Brown & The Dead Collective (built around the talents of Brown and award winning drummer Wayne Proctor) may well be headed for even bigger and sonically bolder things, if debut EP Prelude is anything to go by.
(Co-written, produced, mixed & mastered by Brown & Proctor, the EP also features bassist Alex Phillips and Andy Banfield on synth).
The 4-track EP – three brand new songs plus an alternate take so different in sonic texture and arrangement that it’s a fourth track on its own merit – showcases a band that have retained the weight of Brown’s previous group but added musically earthy and lyrically honest qualities to the mix (Brown readily admits that the music "comes from a unique and honest place… at the time, my subconscious was more aware of my mental health than my consciousness… a big wake-up call for me to make many changes in my life").
'Heard It All Before,' a gritty and riffy stomp rocker with impassioned but controlled vocals from Oli Brown (some great phrasing here, which makes for stronger lyrical impact) and a guitar solo that almost yells in agreement, makes for an impacting opener, but the scene-setting reality is it’s really acting as a prologue, or indeed a Prelude, to the deeper and darker aspects of what Oli Brown and The Dead Collective are all about.
'Sinking Ship' is a brooding and darker mid-tempo rock-blues that features a deceptively enticing rhythmic groove while 'Haunted,' the pick of the trio and longest song on offer at five-and-a-half minutes, retains the darker elements just displayed but here within a pseudo grunge-rock-blues framework.
The latter also shows a greats sense of dynamics with a big, emboldened chorus and a quieter passage that offers a place to hide from that 'haunted' darkness before Oli Brown’s anguished solo takes centre stage.
The alternate take of 'Haunted' (sub-titled 'The Solitude Sessions' and sitting about a minute shorter), brings a whole different atmosphere to bear, one that that emphasises the song’s lyrical melancholy (and another great vocal from Oli Brown), beautifully supported by the wistful and complementary cello strings from guest musician Jo Quail.
The EP, a run of upcoming guest support dates with The Answer and a recent noteworthy performance at the 2023 Winter’s End Festival in Trecco Bay, all point to the Prelude of a band with, one hopes, a lot more to say in the future.
Or, to once again quote Oli Brown – "Out with the old, in with The Dead!"
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
(Although short-lived, RavenEye had two acclaimed releases and enjoyed international tours with Slash, Deep Purple and Aerosmith, no less).
As impacting as RavenEye were, Oli Brown & The Dead Collective (built around the talents of Brown and award winning drummer Wayne Proctor) may well be headed for even bigger and sonically bolder things, if debut EP Prelude is anything to go by.
(Co-written, produced, mixed & mastered by Brown & Proctor, the EP also features bassist Alex Phillips and Andy Banfield on synth).
The 4-track EP – three brand new songs plus an alternate take so different in sonic texture and arrangement that it’s a fourth track on its own merit – showcases a band that have retained the weight of Brown’s previous group but added musically earthy and lyrically honest qualities to the mix (Brown readily admits that the music "comes from a unique and honest place… at the time, my subconscious was more aware of my mental health than my consciousness… a big wake-up call for me to make many changes in my life").
'Heard It All Before,' a gritty and riffy stomp rocker with impassioned but controlled vocals from Oli Brown (some great phrasing here, which makes for stronger lyrical impact) and a guitar solo that almost yells in agreement, makes for an impacting opener, but the scene-setting reality is it’s really acting as a prologue, or indeed a Prelude, to the deeper and darker aspects of what Oli Brown and The Dead Collective are all about.
'Sinking Ship' is a brooding and darker mid-tempo rock-blues that features a deceptively enticing rhythmic groove while 'Haunted,' the pick of the trio and longest song on offer at five-and-a-half minutes, retains the darker elements just displayed but here within a pseudo grunge-rock-blues framework.
The latter also shows a greats sense of dynamics with a big, emboldened chorus and a quieter passage that offers a place to hide from that 'haunted' darkness before Oli Brown’s anguished solo takes centre stage.
The alternate take of 'Haunted' (sub-titled 'The Solitude Sessions' and sitting about a minute shorter), brings a whole different atmosphere to bear, one that that emphasises the song’s lyrical melancholy (and another great vocal from Oli Brown), beautifully supported by the wistful and complementary cello strings from guest musician Jo Quail.
The EP, a run of upcoming guest support dates with The Answer and a recent noteworthy performance at the 2023 Winter’s End Festival in Trecco Bay, all point to the Prelude of a band with, one hopes, a lot more to say in the future.
Or, to once again quote Oli Brown – "Out with the old, in with The Dead!"
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Adam Norsworthy – Talking Pictures
It’s one thing to be musically prolific – as is the writing, recording & releasing case with singer/ songwriter/ guitarist/ multi-instrumentalist Adam Norsworthy, but it’s quite another to also be consistently good, especially if you have more than one string to your bow, or guitar.
Fortunately Adam Norsworthy (who balances a solo career alongside fronting multi-hued blues rock band The Mustangs and as guitarist of feel-good rhythm and blues quartet The Milk Men) also ticks that consistently good box.
Having released the band orientated (Oli Brown, Bennett Holland, Rich Young & Wayne Proctor, no less) solo album Infinite Hotel (a mix of melodic rock and roll, bluesy atmospheres and shades of country/ Americana) and best to date Milk Men album Spin the Bottle last year, the singer-songwriter side of Adam Norsworthy is front and centre less than a year later on Talking Pictures.
An intentionally low-fi affair that offers genuinely moving melancholy (Adam Norsworthy’s parents sadly passed within four months of each other during the COVD crisis), uplifting warmth and lyrically adept storytelling, Talking Pictures is a lovely album that is also well-named; just about every song conjures images to accompany the nuanced lyricism (topics covered include ageing, loss, obsession, parenthood, invention and progress).
Talking Pictures runs the singer-songwriter gamut from delicate and forlorn opener 'Quiet Town' ("knowing I can’t see you is my architect of pain… the isolation is wearing me down") and lyrical cheek of the bluesy 'Eating Off The Floor' to the dreamy, acoustic pop charm of 'Radio Nights' (an ode to the days of Pirate Radio and Radio Caroline and a (perhaps first) love long since passed) and album closer 'No Matter What You Do,' a lovingly delivered acoustic & vocal nod to always-watching-over-you parenthood.
Strong as that quartet are they act as the supporting cast to others such as the light and airy 'Talking To Myself' (intimate melancholy tempered by infectious melody), the echoing ring of slightly reverbed guitars on the atmospheric 'Comfort & Blame' and the folksier pop of 'A Man Can Fly,' featuring Ellie Fagg on violin (as do a few others, including the wistful 'A New York Song').
Other highlights include two beautifully written storytelling numbers – the wonderfully conceived acoustic-folk tale 'Cleopatra’s Lies' ("Yesterday Caesar ruled an empire, today he can’t control his beating heart") and the American folk-waltz styled 'Harpersferry,' which lyrically depicts the close bonded relationship between father and son through the elder’s telling of American Civil War history.
DIY in low-fi style it may be (all instruments were played by Adam Norsworthy other than the aforementioned Ellie Fagg and Tim Weller (The Divine Comedy) on drums) but that’s unquestionably part of Talking Pictures strength, bolstered by an intimate sounding production from Norsworthy and another excellent House Of Tone mixing & mastering job from Wayne Proctor (who also chips in with bass on three songs).
Get a ticket, grab a seat and turn the lights down for Talking Pictures; you’ll get your money’s worth.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase the CD at: https://www.adamnorsworthy.co.uk/
Digital purchase/ Stream at: https://adamnorsworthy.hearnow.com/talking-pictures
Fortunately Adam Norsworthy (who balances a solo career alongside fronting multi-hued blues rock band The Mustangs and as guitarist of feel-good rhythm and blues quartet The Milk Men) also ticks that consistently good box.
Having released the band orientated (Oli Brown, Bennett Holland, Rich Young & Wayne Proctor, no less) solo album Infinite Hotel (a mix of melodic rock and roll, bluesy atmospheres and shades of country/ Americana) and best to date Milk Men album Spin the Bottle last year, the singer-songwriter side of Adam Norsworthy is front and centre less than a year later on Talking Pictures.
An intentionally low-fi affair that offers genuinely moving melancholy (Adam Norsworthy’s parents sadly passed within four months of each other during the COVD crisis), uplifting warmth and lyrically adept storytelling, Talking Pictures is a lovely album that is also well-named; just about every song conjures images to accompany the nuanced lyricism (topics covered include ageing, loss, obsession, parenthood, invention and progress).
Talking Pictures runs the singer-songwriter gamut from delicate and forlorn opener 'Quiet Town' ("knowing I can’t see you is my architect of pain… the isolation is wearing me down") and lyrical cheek of the bluesy 'Eating Off The Floor' to the dreamy, acoustic pop charm of 'Radio Nights' (an ode to the days of Pirate Radio and Radio Caroline and a (perhaps first) love long since passed) and album closer 'No Matter What You Do,' a lovingly delivered acoustic & vocal nod to always-watching-over-you parenthood.
Strong as that quartet are they act as the supporting cast to others such as the light and airy 'Talking To Myself' (intimate melancholy tempered by infectious melody), the echoing ring of slightly reverbed guitars on the atmospheric 'Comfort & Blame' and the folksier pop of 'A Man Can Fly,' featuring Ellie Fagg on violin (as do a few others, including the wistful 'A New York Song').
Other highlights include two beautifully written storytelling numbers – the wonderfully conceived acoustic-folk tale 'Cleopatra’s Lies' ("Yesterday Caesar ruled an empire, today he can’t control his beating heart") and the American folk-waltz styled 'Harpersferry,' which lyrically depicts the close bonded relationship between father and son through the elder’s telling of American Civil War history.
DIY in low-fi style it may be (all instruments were played by Adam Norsworthy other than the aforementioned Ellie Fagg and Tim Weller (The Divine Comedy) on drums) but that’s unquestionably part of Talking Pictures strength, bolstered by an intimate sounding production from Norsworthy and another excellent House Of Tone mixing & mastering job from Wayne Proctor (who also chips in with bass on three songs).
Get a ticket, grab a seat and turn the lights down for Talking Pictures; you’ll get your money’s worth.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase the CD at: https://www.adamnorsworthy.co.uk/
Digital purchase/ Stream at: https://adamnorsworthy.hearnow.com/talking-pictures
Girlschool – The School Report 1978-2008 (5CD Box Set)
As in-depth, across the decades anthologies go, Cherry Red Records have certainly done their homework to obtain an A+ mark for The School Report.
This all-encompassing, six hour collection covers the first thirty years of British rock/metal band Girlschool, who are still going strong with original members/ ever-presents Kim McAuliffe (vocals/ guitars) and Denise Dufort (drums) in the company of Jackie Chambers (lead guitars, vocals) and Tracey Lamb (bass, vocals).
The 5CD set charts the band from their Painted Lady pub-rock beginnings to becoming queens of 80s heavy metal rock and roll, and on to the noughties when so many old-school rock and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal acts, becalmed in the musically changing 90s, saw a resurgence due a new found appreciation for classic rock (which helped give birth to the New Wave of Classic Rock movement).
The first two CDs (combining 44 tracks) present a definitive Best Of Girlschool's prolific first decade, from 1979 and the punky rock and roll of debut single 'Take it All Away,' to four songs from the band’s seventh studio album, 1988’s Take a Bite, including the synth punctuated, rhythmic rock of 'Head Over Heels.'
In between those tracks you'll find cuts such as the lyrically darker & metal-edged 'The Hunter;' the Def Leppard influenced 'Play Dirty;' 'Running Wild' & 'Love is a Lie' from the somewhat (then label) enforced attempts to have the band sound like Pat Benatar and look like The Runaways; the grittier and punkier 'All Day All Night' & 'Let’s Go Crazy;' the band's rollicking covers of 'Race With The Devil,' 'Tush,' '20th Century Boy,' a slightly tempered lyrical take of Slade’s 'Burning in the Heat (of Love)' plus, of course, 'Please Don’t Touch' from the St Valentines Day Massacre EP, recorded with Motörhead and released under the moniker Headgirl.
(Motörhead related, and as the accompanying 60 page booklet (which narrates to the present day) confirms, Lemmy was a big fan and influential in helping the band move up the rock and roll ladder in the early years).
The 16 song CD3 charts the band’s 90s and noughties output up to their 2008 album Legacy, which celebrated the band’s 30th anniversary (making them the longest running all-female metal band in activity).
21st century Girlschool tracks making an impact here include the double-time hard rock ‘n’ roll of 'Innocent,' the upbeat hard rock of 'Legend' (dedicated to original lead guitarist Kelly Johnson, who sadly passed in 2007), the rugged metal of 'I Spy' (featuring Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi) and a cover of Motörhead’s 'Metropolis,' with guitar solo by Eddie Clarke.
The 90s were a leaner time for many a classic rock or metal act but that didn’t stop bands such as Girlschool from delivering the goods, as heard on 'Can’t Say No' (the sort of guitar-howling song Bernie Tormé would have loved to have called his own) and punky NWOBHM throwback number 'Can’t Do That' from the band's 1992’s self-titled album.
CD4 is the musical flip-side of Girlschool, collecting as it does 13 B-sides, live cuts and EP tracks from 1980 to 1983, plus 10 demos spanning from 1978 (a cover of the Rolling Stones 'Let’s Spend The Night Together' and an original entitled 'Just Don’t Care' when the band were still Painted Lady) to 2002 and the punchy, "woah-oh" fun of 'London' (which would feature on Legacy six years later).
Completing the set is a fifth disc containing a very rare, 20 song live performance from Painted Lady in 1978, just before changing their name to Girlschool.
A typical pub-rock band covers set ('All Right Now,' 'Smoke On The Water,' 'Johnny B. Goode,' 'Honky Tonk Women,' 'Hey Joe,' et al), and even with the bootleg audio and inevitable young-band-just-starting-out flubs, the performance hints at bigger things for a then embryonic band that would become one of the most enduring all-female rock/ metal acts.
And that, music pupils, is the comprehensive School Report.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
This all-encompassing, six hour collection covers the first thirty years of British rock/metal band Girlschool, who are still going strong with original members/ ever-presents Kim McAuliffe (vocals/ guitars) and Denise Dufort (drums) in the company of Jackie Chambers (lead guitars, vocals) and Tracey Lamb (bass, vocals).
The 5CD set charts the band from their Painted Lady pub-rock beginnings to becoming queens of 80s heavy metal rock and roll, and on to the noughties when so many old-school rock and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal acts, becalmed in the musically changing 90s, saw a resurgence due a new found appreciation for classic rock (which helped give birth to the New Wave of Classic Rock movement).
The first two CDs (combining 44 tracks) present a definitive Best Of Girlschool's prolific first decade, from 1979 and the punky rock and roll of debut single 'Take it All Away,' to four songs from the band’s seventh studio album, 1988’s Take a Bite, including the synth punctuated, rhythmic rock of 'Head Over Heels.'
In between those tracks you'll find cuts such as the lyrically darker & metal-edged 'The Hunter;' the Def Leppard influenced 'Play Dirty;' 'Running Wild' & 'Love is a Lie' from the somewhat (then label) enforced attempts to have the band sound like Pat Benatar and look like The Runaways; the grittier and punkier 'All Day All Night' & 'Let’s Go Crazy;' the band's rollicking covers of 'Race With The Devil,' 'Tush,' '20th Century Boy,' a slightly tempered lyrical take of Slade’s 'Burning in the Heat (of Love)' plus, of course, 'Please Don’t Touch' from the St Valentines Day Massacre EP, recorded with Motörhead and released under the moniker Headgirl.
(Motörhead related, and as the accompanying 60 page booklet (which narrates to the present day) confirms, Lemmy was a big fan and influential in helping the band move up the rock and roll ladder in the early years).
The 16 song CD3 charts the band’s 90s and noughties output up to their 2008 album Legacy, which celebrated the band’s 30th anniversary (making them the longest running all-female metal band in activity).
21st century Girlschool tracks making an impact here include the double-time hard rock ‘n’ roll of 'Innocent,' the upbeat hard rock of 'Legend' (dedicated to original lead guitarist Kelly Johnson, who sadly passed in 2007), the rugged metal of 'I Spy' (featuring Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi) and a cover of Motörhead’s 'Metropolis,' with guitar solo by Eddie Clarke.
The 90s were a leaner time for many a classic rock or metal act but that didn’t stop bands such as Girlschool from delivering the goods, as heard on 'Can’t Say No' (the sort of guitar-howling song Bernie Tormé would have loved to have called his own) and punky NWOBHM throwback number 'Can’t Do That' from the band's 1992’s self-titled album.
CD4 is the musical flip-side of Girlschool, collecting as it does 13 B-sides, live cuts and EP tracks from 1980 to 1983, plus 10 demos spanning from 1978 (a cover of the Rolling Stones 'Let’s Spend The Night Together' and an original entitled 'Just Don’t Care' when the band were still Painted Lady) to 2002 and the punchy, "woah-oh" fun of 'London' (which would feature on Legacy six years later).
Completing the set is a fifth disc containing a very rare, 20 song live performance from Painted Lady in 1978, just before changing their name to Girlschool.
A typical pub-rock band covers set ('All Right Now,' 'Smoke On The Water,' 'Johnny B. Goode,' 'Honky Tonk Women,' 'Hey Joe,' et al), and even with the bootleg audio and inevitable young-band-just-starting-out flubs, the performance hints at bigger things for a then embryonic band that would become one of the most enduring all-female rock/ metal acts.
And that, music pupils, is the comprehensive School Report.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Jared James Nichols – Jared James Nichols
Larger than life singer-guitarist and Gibson neck-wringer Jared James Nichols (a towering 6’ 5” presence with the unfettered rawk attitude of Ted Nugent, back when Gonzo Ted was worth listening to – in both senses) has eponymously titled his latest, and third, full-length studio album.
And with good reason.
While 2015 debut studio album Old Glory & The Wild Revival was suitably impacting and 2018’s Black Magic reinforced his blues-raucous credentials, Jared James Nichols is exactly what JJN is all about, particularly in the live environment.
And that’s exactly where the album (produced, engineered & mixed by Eddie Spear and recorded live in the studio) takes its cue from, as JJN stated in pre-release press:
"I made a record to serve as the menu for the live show; there’s an element of excitement and danger.
The album is a day in the life with the ups and downs, but it musically rings true to who I am as an artist.
I’m not trying to be anybody but myself and play the music I love for today. I’m giving you loud ass guitars and no fucks given rock ‘n’ roll."
That in itself would do nicely as the review (thanks, Jared) but there are both blues-grungy pros and overly similar cons to this 12 track, forty-three minute offering from the engaging, Nashville based Gibson guitar ambassador.
'My Delusion' blues boogies, rocks and bone-rattlingly rolls along its short 147 seconds accompanied by JJN’s raucous vocal (like his guitar play, always delivered with gusto); following number, the similarly paced 'Easy Come, Easy Go,' carries even more weight courtesy of the thick guitar muscle applied.
'Down the Drain,' one of two pre-album singles, provides contrast with its more psychedelic verses, but it still retains that trademark JJN rawk chorus (here with a touch of grunge) and a wild ‘n’ wicked guitar solo.
Those unfettered six-string licks of JJN then introduce the slower (and other previous single) 'Hard Wired,' which evolved from a jam session with Tyler Bryant and Graham Whitford.
With its pseudo metal-blues style, 'Hard Wired' sits as one of the more interesting numbers on the album.
However as the album progresses from that opening quartet you realise, and hear, the problem – or, more accurately, that its greatest strength (that aforementioned unfettered-ness and rawk gusto) is also its weakness – songs such as the slightly punky 'Bad Roots,' staccato rock-blues of 'Good Time Girl,' the metal-riffed boogie of 'Hallelujah' and the grunge-rock-blues of 'Saint Or Fool' all, quite derivatively, come and go.
By change-up contrast however the early 70s vibe of 'Skin ‘n Bone,' heavier rhythmic shade applied to 'Long Way to Go,' the tempo-shifting psychedelic blues of 'Shadow Dancer' and lyrically poignant and moody 'Out Of Time' (a tribute to JJN’s late father) all make much more of an impact.
Would a 6 Track EP (or two such EPs, issued a few months apart) have made more of an impact? Perhaps.
But, whatever your take, this is definitively Jared James Nichols, musically raw and honest and never manufactured.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
And with good reason.
While 2015 debut studio album Old Glory & The Wild Revival was suitably impacting and 2018’s Black Magic reinforced his blues-raucous credentials, Jared James Nichols is exactly what JJN is all about, particularly in the live environment.
And that’s exactly where the album (produced, engineered & mixed by Eddie Spear and recorded live in the studio) takes its cue from, as JJN stated in pre-release press:
"I made a record to serve as the menu for the live show; there’s an element of excitement and danger.
The album is a day in the life with the ups and downs, but it musically rings true to who I am as an artist.
I’m not trying to be anybody but myself and play the music I love for today. I’m giving you loud ass guitars and no fucks given rock ‘n’ roll."
That in itself would do nicely as the review (thanks, Jared) but there are both blues-grungy pros and overly similar cons to this 12 track, forty-three minute offering from the engaging, Nashville based Gibson guitar ambassador.
'My Delusion' blues boogies, rocks and bone-rattlingly rolls along its short 147 seconds accompanied by JJN’s raucous vocal (like his guitar play, always delivered with gusto); following number, the similarly paced 'Easy Come, Easy Go,' carries even more weight courtesy of the thick guitar muscle applied.
'Down the Drain,' one of two pre-album singles, provides contrast with its more psychedelic verses, but it still retains that trademark JJN rawk chorus (here with a touch of grunge) and a wild ‘n’ wicked guitar solo.
Those unfettered six-string licks of JJN then introduce the slower (and other previous single) 'Hard Wired,' which evolved from a jam session with Tyler Bryant and Graham Whitford.
With its pseudo metal-blues style, 'Hard Wired' sits as one of the more interesting numbers on the album.
However as the album progresses from that opening quartet you realise, and hear, the problem – or, more accurately, that its greatest strength (that aforementioned unfettered-ness and rawk gusto) is also its weakness – songs such as the slightly punky 'Bad Roots,' staccato rock-blues of 'Good Time Girl,' the metal-riffed boogie of 'Hallelujah' and the grunge-rock-blues of 'Saint Or Fool' all, quite derivatively, come and go.
By change-up contrast however the early 70s vibe of 'Skin ‘n Bone,' heavier rhythmic shade applied to 'Long Way to Go,' the tempo-shifting psychedelic blues of 'Shadow Dancer' and lyrically poignant and moody 'Out Of Time' (a tribute to JJN’s late father) all make much more of an impact.
Would a 6 Track EP (or two such EPs, issued a few months apart) have made more of an impact? Perhaps.
But, whatever your take, this is definitively Jared James Nichols, musically raw and honest and never manufactured.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Ronnie Romero – Raised On Heavy Radio
As can be gleaned from the title of the new album from melodic/heavy rock & metal vocalist Ronnie Romero (Lords of Black, The Ferrymen, Sunstorm, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group), Raised On Heavy Radio is the heavier companion piece to Romero’s 2022 covers album Raised On Radio.
Where last year’s release focused on rock/ melodic rock/ AOR orientated numbers from the likes of Foreigner, Kansas and Survivor, Raised on Heavy Radio is a homage to classic metal songs and metal bands as delivered by Romero, his studio band of Jose Rubio (guitars), Javi Garcia (bass) Andy C (drums), Alessandro Del Vecchio (keyboards, production) and a clutch of guest guitarists.
Ronnie Romero’s love of all things Ritchie Blackmore is highlighted by opening number 'The Battle Rages On' (a faithful rendition of Purple’s 1993 album title track, with Messrs Rubio & Del Vecchio making a good fist of the respective Blackmore & Lord parts) and the fast-paced, power down Rainbow classic 'Light in the Dark.'
The latter allows Romero to give it the full (if grittier voiced) Dio while Andy C keeps the powerful beat on point (a nod here too for Del Vecchio and Rubio’s respective and unfettered solos).
Manowar’s riff-driven, shouty chorus number 'Metal Daze' (with twiddly-shred solo by guest six-stringer Alfredo Alonso) allows Ronnie Romero to lift from his trademark gritty tenor tones to some screaming highs a la Eric Adams, before the chugging riff and incessant beat of Judas Priest’s 'Turbo Lover' (featuring a guitar solo from Nozomu Wakai) gets an airing.
Given the song’s one dimensionality (both musically and vocally) there’s a good argument that a different Priest pick would have had more impact, compounded by the fact an 'Alternate Solo' version of the song appears as a Digital album bonus track.
'Hallowed Be Thy Name' is another strange choice given it’s hard to beat the sheer power and prog-metal impact of the Maiden original (and the Bruce Dickinson vocal) but as a faithful homage, sans the gravitas, it works well enough.
'Fast as a Shark' is up to Accept-able metal speed, which is contrasted by following number 'No More Tears.'
Ozzy Osbourne’s atmospheric and keyboard embellished AOR metal classic (here featuring some great six-string work from Gus G.) is the slowest and moodiest number on the album – as such, when taken in tandem with Black Sabbath’s brooding-metal number 'The Shining' (featuring guitarist Chris Caffery and a great vocal from Ronnie Romero) they work well as mid-album changes of pace.
Masterplan’s 'Kind Hearted Light' (featuring Masterplan founder Roland Grapow) is the album’s rapid-fire European power metal moment; it’s followed by the more melodically rocking metal of Yngwie Malmsteen’s 'You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget.'
Metallica’s ever-shifting riffage-fest classic 'Four Horsemen,' with Ronnie Romero, Jose Rubio, Javi Garcia and Andy C giving it their vocal and instrumentation all, is a fairly impressive and purposeful way to close out the album.
Ronnie Romero is no stranger to putting voice to classic rock and metal covers, as showcased on his two Raised On… albums; both collections certainly have their rock and metal moments, but the singing-someone-else’s-songs irony Is they only increase the impatience for the anticipated all-new material solo album from one of the more noteworthy (in both senses) voices in 21st century rock.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Where last year’s release focused on rock/ melodic rock/ AOR orientated numbers from the likes of Foreigner, Kansas and Survivor, Raised on Heavy Radio is a homage to classic metal songs and metal bands as delivered by Romero, his studio band of Jose Rubio (guitars), Javi Garcia (bass) Andy C (drums), Alessandro Del Vecchio (keyboards, production) and a clutch of guest guitarists.
Ronnie Romero’s love of all things Ritchie Blackmore is highlighted by opening number 'The Battle Rages On' (a faithful rendition of Purple’s 1993 album title track, with Messrs Rubio & Del Vecchio making a good fist of the respective Blackmore & Lord parts) and the fast-paced, power down Rainbow classic 'Light in the Dark.'
The latter allows Romero to give it the full (if grittier voiced) Dio while Andy C keeps the powerful beat on point (a nod here too for Del Vecchio and Rubio’s respective and unfettered solos).
Manowar’s riff-driven, shouty chorus number 'Metal Daze' (with twiddly-shred solo by guest six-stringer Alfredo Alonso) allows Ronnie Romero to lift from his trademark gritty tenor tones to some screaming highs a la Eric Adams, before the chugging riff and incessant beat of Judas Priest’s 'Turbo Lover' (featuring a guitar solo from Nozomu Wakai) gets an airing.
Given the song’s one dimensionality (both musically and vocally) there’s a good argument that a different Priest pick would have had more impact, compounded by the fact an 'Alternate Solo' version of the song appears as a Digital album bonus track.
'Hallowed Be Thy Name' is another strange choice given it’s hard to beat the sheer power and prog-metal impact of the Maiden original (and the Bruce Dickinson vocal) but as a faithful homage, sans the gravitas, it works well enough.
'Fast as a Shark' is up to Accept-able metal speed, which is contrasted by following number 'No More Tears.'
Ozzy Osbourne’s atmospheric and keyboard embellished AOR metal classic (here featuring some great six-string work from Gus G.) is the slowest and moodiest number on the album – as such, when taken in tandem with Black Sabbath’s brooding-metal number 'The Shining' (featuring guitarist Chris Caffery and a great vocal from Ronnie Romero) they work well as mid-album changes of pace.
Masterplan’s 'Kind Hearted Light' (featuring Masterplan founder Roland Grapow) is the album’s rapid-fire European power metal moment; it’s followed by the more melodically rocking metal of Yngwie Malmsteen’s 'You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget.'
Metallica’s ever-shifting riffage-fest classic 'Four Horsemen,' with Ronnie Romero, Jose Rubio, Javi Garcia and Andy C giving it their vocal and instrumentation all, is a fairly impressive and purposeful way to close out the album.
Ronnie Romero is no stranger to putting voice to classic rock and metal covers, as showcased on his two Raised On… albums; both collections certainly have their rock and metal moments, but the singing-someone-else’s-songs irony Is they only increase the impatience for the anticipated all-new material solo album from one of the more noteworthy (in both senses) voices in 21st century rock.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
JD Simo Trio – Songs From The House Of Grease
The phrase "expect the unexpected" is a perfect fit for Nashville based guitarist-singer-songwriter JD Simo – he never does the same album twice, not so much pushing as breaking his own musical boundaries (you might as well put the phrase 'music genre' in the bin).
Nor does JD Simo ever give the same live performance twice; free-form, semi-improvisational and where-the-mood-takes-him excursions alongside Adam Abrashoff (drums) and Todd Bolden (bass) are all part of the live music menu.
Such explorative traits are very much in evidence on Songs From The House Of Grease, a five song, 40 minute traverse through the musical mind of JD Simo, who was very much on his game, and in the musical moment, during these recordings ("This album is a live snapshot of me and the fellas playing some favourite tracks… it's honestly my best playing ever captured").
'Mortgage On My Soul,' which opens with piercing but polite note-bending cries from JD Simo’s guitar, takes a captivating rhythmical route across its seven minutes with Simo's drawl-styled vocal and sharp, guitar twangin' blues lines flitting across the groove laid down by Adam Abrashoff and Todd Bolden.
(The six-string punctuation atop Abrashoff’s Afro Beat is worth the admission fee on its own).
If there’s a touch of hypnotically vibe’d psychedelia threaded through the fabric of JD Simo’s interpretation of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s hill country number then there’s highly contrasting jazz-blues to be heard on 'Afro Blue.'
Such a styling is not too surprising given it’s an interpretational nod to John Coltrane’s version of Mongo Santamaria’s jazz standard; what is surprising however is how impressive the song remains across its eight minutes, JD Simo throwing innovative (and perhaps even improvised) guitar lines across another great rhythm, and performance, from Messrs Abrashoff & Bolden.
A new original, the instrumental 'Missy’s Strut,' sits centre of the album (where it does indeed strut its cheeky, funky and melodically infused stuff) before Blind Alfred Reed's old American folk staple 'How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live' gets the JD Simo Trio treatment.
Here the number eschews its original folk arrangement for a slower, six-minute blues-country interpretation, thus providing a great present-day-ills platform for its Great Depression lyric.
The album closes out on a thirteen minute take of JD Simo’s 'Higher Plane,' from 2020's self-titled solo album.
The heavy distortion meets psychedelic blues number starts as a high octane delivery of the original before expanding to an unfettered free-jazz second half, where all three players roam in a trippier 'Higher Plane' with musical and exploratory abandon.
As 'Higher Plane' and Songs From The House Of Grease emphatically reinforce, JD Simo is not one for knocking out hollow, heard-it-all before Delta stomp blues for lowest common denominator gain (that he is also highly respected among his peers was underlined when music supervisor David Cobb chose him to record all the guitar parts for the recent, critically acclaimed biopic Elvis).
And for that, JD, thank you very much.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Nor does JD Simo ever give the same live performance twice; free-form, semi-improvisational and where-the-mood-takes-him excursions alongside Adam Abrashoff (drums) and Todd Bolden (bass) are all part of the live music menu.
Such explorative traits are very much in evidence on Songs From The House Of Grease, a five song, 40 minute traverse through the musical mind of JD Simo, who was very much on his game, and in the musical moment, during these recordings ("This album is a live snapshot of me and the fellas playing some favourite tracks… it's honestly my best playing ever captured").
'Mortgage On My Soul,' which opens with piercing but polite note-bending cries from JD Simo’s guitar, takes a captivating rhythmical route across its seven minutes with Simo's drawl-styled vocal and sharp, guitar twangin' blues lines flitting across the groove laid down by Adam Abrashoff and Todd Bolden.
(The six-string punctuation atop Abrashoff’s Afro Beat is worth the admission fee on its own).
If there’s a touch of hypnotically vibe’d psychedelia threaded through the fabric of JD Simo’s interpretation of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s hill country number then there’s highly contrasting jazz-blues to be heard on 'Afro Blue.'
Such a styling is not too surprising given it’s an interpretational nod to John Coltrane’s version of Mongo Santamaria’s jazz standard; what is surprising however is how impressive the song remains across its eight minutes, JD Simo throwing innovative (and perhaps even improvised) guitar lines across another great rhythm, and performance, from Messrs Abrashoff & Bolden.
A new original, the instrumental 'Missy’s Strut,' sits centre of the album (where it does indeed strut its cheeky, funky and melodically infused stuff) before Blind Alfred Reed's old American folk staple 'How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live' gets the JD Simo Trio treatment.
Here the number eschews its original folk arrangement for a slower, six-minute blues-country interpretation, thus providing a great present-day-ills platform for its Great Depression lyric.
The album closes out on a thirteen minute take of JD Simo’s 'Higher Plane,' from 2020's self-titled solo album.
The heavy distortion meets psychedelic blues number starts as a high octane delivery of the original before expanding to an unfettered free-jazz second half, where all three players roam in a trippier 'Higher Plane' with musical and exploratory abandon.
As 'Higher Plane' and Songs From The House Of Grease emphatically reinforce, JD Simo is not one for knocking out hollow, heard-it-all before Delta stomp blues for lowest common denominator gain (that he is also highly respected among his peers was underlined when music supervisor David Cobb chose him to record all the guitar parts for the recent, critically acclaimed biopic Elvis).
And for that, JD, thank you very much.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ