Bison Hip - Everything That Came Before Was Just Leading Up To This
In sign-off of review of Scottish blues rock band Bison Hip’s last album, Welcome To The Rest Of Your Life, and their recorded travels to that point, FabricationsHQ noted that "even with two EP’s and two albums worth of real songs about real life by real musicians… Bison Hip are only just getting started."
That observation seems to be confirmed by the title of latest album, Everything That Came Before Was Just Leading Up To This (clearly a band who are no fan of title brevity).
As bold a title statement as that may be, it’s justified by the songs within, delivered by a confident and musically mature quintet that, by their own middle-aged admission, started late (the band formed in 2020, albeit they have prior musical experience and individual expertise a plenty), but have now, well and blues truly, arrived.
(Nor does it hurt that this is also their sonically best work, with a full bodied sound and a nice, warm mix).
The title track leads off the album in fine, moody and atmospheric, blues infused fashion.
That it comes complete with a brooding, drum rolling rhythm, nice tempo changes/ progression as it hits the pre-chorus & chorus, and a jazz-tinged instrumental breakdown Messrs Lukather & Paich would have been happy to call their Toto-ised own, just increases its value.
Kudos too for the lyrical phrasing from singer Paul Sloway, who vocally ensures the lengthy title line sits comfortably within both the song, and the lyrical arrangement (a nod too for the full-bodied licks from guitarist John Gilmour Smith and his tasty little solo).
The band’s penchant for real life lyricism and the ups and downs of relationships comes calling across the next three songs.
The mid-tempo, pseudo funky and lyrical "butting heads" of 'Bedlam' features some nifty drum work from Malcolm Button and nice piano tinkling from Steven Radziwonik on the middle 8/ breakdown section.
Following number, the smooth blues swing of 'Chemicals,' could be from the Ricky Ross songbook – if Mr Ross decided Deacon Blue were to become Deacon Blues for an evening.
That observation seems to be confirmed by the title of latest album, Everything That Came Before Was Just Leading Up To This (clearly a band who are no fan of title brevity).
As bold a title statement as that may be, it’s justified by the songs within, delivered by a confident and musically mature quintet that, by their own middle-aged admission, started late (the band formed in 2020, albeit they have prior musical experience and individual expertise a plenty), but have now, well and blues truly, arrived.
(Nor does it hurt that this is also their sonically best work, with a full bodied sound and a nice, warm mix).
The title track leads off the album in fine, moody and atmospheric, blues infused fashion.
That it comes complete with a brooding, drum rolling rhythm, nice tempo changes/ progression as it hits the pre-chorus & chorus, and a jazz-tinged instrumental breakdown Messrs Lukather & Paich would have been happy to call their Toto-ised own, just increases its value.
Kudos too for the lyrical phrasing from singer Paul Sloway, who vocally ensures the lengthy title line sits comfortably within both the song, and the lyrical arrangement (a nod too for the full-bodied licks from guitarist John Gilmour Smith and his tasty little solo).
The band’s penchant for real life lyricism and the ups and downs of relationships comes calling across the next three songs.
The mid-tempo, pseudo funky and lyrical "butting heads" of 'Bedlam' features some nifty drum work from Malcolm Button and nice piano tinkling from Steven Radziwonik on the middle 8/ breakdown section.
Following number, the smooth blues swing of 'Chemicals,' could be from the Ricky Ross songbook – if Mr Ross decided Deacon Blue were to become Deacon Blues for an evening.
Given the lyrical sub-text of the previous two numbers it’s fitting 'Why Should I Cry If You Leave Me?' follows. A melodic slow blues with nice harmony arrangements and Malcolm Button & bassist Graeme Carswell in the rhythmic groove, the Why Should I Cry listener will either be reflecting on their own loves lost with a glass of the good stuff to hand, or sitting said glass down so they can finger-click along.
Contrast is then provided by the up-tempo, honky-tonk rhythm and blues of 'Outrageous,' which allows Steven Radziwonik to rattle the piano keys with both panache and some rock and roll sass.
The reggae-lite stylings of 'It's Cool' (another potential break-up number) adds a further musical texture to these blues-hip Bisons, who show there age, and seeming un-coolness, with the delightful line "when it comes to clothing I prefer Cary Grant."
The band then crank it back up with the short and choppy, blues-rock meets Bo Diddley 'Mountain,' before delivering the album’s highlight moment, seven-minute melodic blues ballad, 'Imposter.'
Led by a self-confessing lyric ("I’m not the man that you think that I am") 'Imposter' is an emotive number set within a relatively simple musical framework, which makes it all the more powerful.
Steven Radziwonik’s piano solo is beautifully complementary, John Gilmour Smith lays down one of his most emotive solos to date and Paul Sloway gives it his all, but never stretches.
'Defenceless,' with its perky bass lines, returns to the funkier blues side of Bison Hip.
The funky vibe and feisty, late-song solo from John Gilmour Smith would have made this a great closing number, which in some ways it is, because final song, 'I Forgot To Tell My Heart That You Were Gone' (cue countless country artists stomping on their Stetsons because they didn’t come up with that title first) could be construed as a fun, bonus track.
That’s not to say the swaying, old school, ever-so-slightly gospel blues of 'I Forgot...' isn’t worthy of inclusion (it very much is); but the howls of anguish on the 'false starts' of Malcom Button’s drum intro, and the looser, studio voices outro, do make for lighter blues relief.
Either way, Everything That Came Before it has led to Bison Hip’s best album to date.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Everything That Came Before Was Just Leading Up To This is out now.
CD & related merch: https://www.bisonhip.com/shop-2/
Bandcamp (Digital Download): https://bisonhip.bandcamp.com/album/everything-that-came-before-was-just-leading-up-to-this
Contrast is then provided by the up-tempo, honky-tonk rhythm and blues of 'Outrageous,' which allows Steven Radziwonik to rattle the piano keys with both panache and some rock and roll sass.
The reggae-lite stylings of 'It's Cool' (another potential break-up number) adds a further musical texture to these blues-hip Bisons, who show there age, and seeming un-coolness, with the delightful line "when it comes to clothing I prefer Cary Grant."
The band then crank it back up with the short and choppy, blues-rock meets Bo Diddley 'Mountain,' before delivering the album’s highlight moment, seven-minute melodic blues ballad, 'Imposter.'
Led by a self-confessing lyric ("I’m not the man that you think that I am") 'Imposter' is an emotive number set within a relatively simple musical framework, which makes it all the more powerful.
Steven Radziwonik’s piano solo is beautifully complementary, John Gilmour Smith lays down one of his most emotive solos to date and Paul Sloway gives it his all, but never stretches.
'Defenceless,' with its perky bass lines, returns to the funkier blues side of Bison Hip.
The funky vibe and feisty, late-song solo from John Gilmour Smith would have made this a great closing number, which in some ways it is, because final song, 'I Forgot To Tell My Heart That You Were Gone' (cue countless country artists stomping on their Stetsons because they didn’t come up with that title first) could be construed as a fun, bonus track.
That’s not to say the swaying, old school, ever-so-slightly gospel blues of 'I Forgot...' isn’t worthy of inclusion (it very much is); but the howls of anguish on the 'false starts' of Malcom Button’s drum intro, and the looser, studio voices outro, do make for lighter blues relief.
Either way, Everything That Came Before it has led to Bison Hip’s best album to date.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Everything That Came Before Was Just Leading Up To This is out now.
CD & related merch: https://www.bisonhip.com/shop-2/
Bandcamp (Digital Download): https://bisonhip.bandcamp.com/album/everything-that-came-before-was-just-leading-up-to-this