Bison Hip Older Stronger Better

Glasgow’s Bison Hip are, by their own admission, late musical starters.
Formed in 2020 (hey, it was lockdown, what else are you gonna do but start a blues band?) the quintet of friends – Paul Sloway (vocals), John Gilmour Smith (guitars), Malcolm Button (drums), Graeme Carswell (bass) and Steven Radziwonik (keys) – are all in their 50s, excepting Radziwonik who is the "spring chicken" having just dipped in to his early 40s (which still makes them all young in my more numerous Birthdays book).
Formally becoming Bison Hip in 2022 the band delivered two very accomplished EPs that same year.
Dear Greens And Blues, which featured smooth soul-blues single 'This Time,' primarily showcased the band’s dreamier blues credentials (special nod to the ballad 'Trade,' featuring a deeply melodic and beautifully phrased solo from John Gilmour Smith).
Follow-up EP Mid Life Crisis (a slightly tongue-in-cheek title nod to what got the band together in the first place) broadened the band’s blues scope by adding purposeful, mid-tempo blues weight ('O Lord, Let Me Be') and acoustic & harmonies based arrangements ('The Grafter') to their soul-blues credentials.
And so to debut album Older Stronger Better and a title that clearly nods to age, experience, life lessons and the music & lyricism that comes from such.
Taking the musical essence of the EPs but stepping up another gear, Older Stronger Better showcases a band that now know exactly who they are and how to make best use of their songwriting strengths and none-too-shabby musical abilities.
Opening with the strong voiced and muscly mid-tempo 'Nothing More Nothing Less,' the band set their musically and lyrically honest stall out early; they also show a great use of dynamics here, mixing it up with a tasty little blues-jazz breakdown (including pumping bass line from Graeme Carswell and splashes of cool piano and a grooving little organ sequence from Steven Radziwonik) before returning to the main theme.
The simply arranged but highly effective 'The One That Got Away' is a smoother mid-tempo that would sit well on mainstream radio, let alone a blues station, while the pacier 'Mercy' offers up a tasty slice of soul-rock aided and abetted by, again, great contributions from Messrs Radziwonik & Carswell.
The bluesy soul of 'Symptomatic' doesn’t quite stand as strong as the opening trio (the "falling for you" lyrical sub-text is a tad overplayed toward song’s end) but its groove keeps it above the waterline.
Far stronger is the funky 'Doghouse,' which sports a tight and punchy rhythm from Graeme Carswell & Malcolm Button and a cute one-that-got-away lyric ("all these good intentions, all these clever plans, all this information, now you’re slipping through my hands").
Formed in 2020 (hey, it was lockdown, what else are you gonna do but start a blues band?) the quintet of friends – Paul Sloway (vocals), John Gilmour Smith (guitars), Malcolm Button (drums), Graeme Carswell (bass) and Steven Radziwonik (keys) – are all in their 50s, excepting Radziwonik who is the "spring chicken" having just dipped in to his early 40s (which still makes them all young in my more numerous Birthdays book).
Formally becoming Bison Hip in 2022 the band delivered two very accomplished EPs that same year.
Dear Greens And Blues, which featured smooth soul-blues single 'This Time,' primarily showcased the band’s dreamier blues credentials (special nod to the ballad 'Trade,' featuring a deeply melodic and beautifully phrased solo from John Gilmour Smith).
Follow-up EP Mid Life Crisis (a slightly tongue-in-cheek title nod to what got the band together in the first place) broadened the band’s blues scope by adding purposeful, mid-tempo blues weight ('O Lord, Let Me Be') and acoustic & harmonies based arrangements ('The Grafter') to their soul-blues credentials.
And so to debut album Older Stronger Better and a title that clearly nods to age, experience, life lessons and the music & lyricism that comes from such.
Taking the musical essence of the EPs but stepping up another gear, Older Stronger Better showcases a band that now know exactly who they are and how to make best use of their songwriting strengths and none-too-shabby musical abilities.
Opening with the strong voiced and muscly mid-tempo 'Nothing More Nothing Less,' the band set their musically and lyrically honest stall out early; they also show a great use of dynamics here, mixing it up with a tasty little blues-jazz breakdown (including pumping bass line from Graeme Carswell and splashes of cool piano and a grooving little organ sequence from Steven Radziwonik) before returning to the main theme.
The simply arranged but highly effective 'The One That Got Away' is a smoother mid-tempo that would sit well on mainstream radio, let alone a blues station, while the pacier 'Mercy' offers up a tasty slice of soul-rock aided and abetted by, again, great contributions from Messrs Radziwonik & Carswell.
The bluesy soul of 'Symptomatic' doesn’t quite stand as strong as the opening trio (the "falling for you" lyrical sub-text is a tad overplayed toward song’s end) but its groove keeps it above the waterline.
Far stronger is the funky 'Doghouse,' which sports a tight and punchy rhythm from Graeme Carswell & Malcolm Button and a cute one-that-got-away lyric ("all these good intentions, all these clever plans, all this information, now you’re slipping through my hands").
Seven and half minute slow blues 'This Old City' is another winner; Paul Sloway’s softer and considered vocal (rising only on the chorus) is the perfect accompaniment to the subtly atmospheric number, as is the blues crying solo from John Gilmour Smith and tasteful piano solo from Steven Radziwonik.
There then follows a trio of songs that reinforce the album’s title and mission statement.
The slower 'Stronger,' which sports a deceptively purposeful groove, oozes soulful, melodic charm while 'Better' is a blues-brooding proposition featuring feisty bursts of wah effected soloing.
Seven-minute soul-blues ballad 'Older,' which opens with plaintive piano and outros on a lovely guitar solo, completes the album title picture in impressive, lyrically reflective fashion ("now time walks side by side with me").
'You Got Too Close' brings some funky soul to proceedings (it also helps reinforce that Graeme Carswell may well be the band’s secret four-string weapon) before acoustic & piano backed ballad 'In Love With Life Again' closes the album in melodically optimistic fashion (the A cappella harmony chorus finale is the vocal icing on the cleverly arranged cake).
In pre-album release press Bison Hip made the comment that they "arrived at the party fashionably late, so we're making up for it now!"
Indeed they are, but on the EPs and even more so on their debut album Bison Hip also prove you can teach younger-aged bands with much longer career histories a thing or three about songcraft, melody, arrangement and thoughtful lyricism.
Older Stronger Better
Mature Soulful Blues
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
There then follows a trio of songs that reinforce the album’s title and mission statement.
The slower 'Stronger,' which sports a deceptively purposeful groove, oozes soulful, melodic charm while 'Better' is a blues-brooding proposition featuring feisty bursts of wah effected soloing.
Seven-minute soul-blues ballad 'Older,' which opens with plaintive piano and outros on a lovely guitar solo, completes the album title picture in impressive, lyrically reflective fashion ("now time walks side by side with me").
'You Got Too Close' brings some funky soul to proceedings (it also helps reinforce that Graeme Carswell may well be the band’s secret four-string weapon) before acoustic & piano backed ballad 'In Love With Life Again' closes the album in melodically optimistic fashion (the A cappella harmony chorus finale is the vocal icing on the cleverly arranged cake).
In pre-album release press Bison Hip made the comment that they "arrived at the party fashionably late, so we're making up for it now!"
Indeed they are, but on the EPs and even more so on their debut album Bison Hip also prove you can teach younger-aged bands with much longer career histories a thing or three about songcraft, melody, arrangement and thoughtful lyricism.
Older Stronger Better
Mature Soulful Blues
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ