Resurgence as an idea is an intriguing concept. Built somewhat on a bedrock of nostalgia of the lack of the good old days sees band’s returning more to the golden years of the seventies and eighties yet giving it a new spin. Formed in 2011, Blues Pills are hardly veterans at the scene of Rock ‘n’ Roll though owing to the tenacious nature of the band and their pretty hectic touring schedule the band are slowly but surely climbing the Blues ladder and on their next rung we see the creation of Lady In Gold.
[tracklist]
- Lady In Gold
- Little Boy Preacher
- Burned Out
- I Felt A Change
- Gone So Long
- Bad Talkers
- You Gotta Try
- Won’t Go Back
- Rejection
- Elements and Things
[/tracklist][details]
[length]40:05[/length]
[record_label]Nuclear Blast Records[/record_label]
[release_date]August 5th 2016[/release_date]
[/details]
As the multicoloured haze of smoke clears the fuzz driven guitars greet us on “Little Preacher Boy” bringing the soulful vocals of Elin Larsson to the fore with the blanket backing vocals retaining that seventies dazzle. Retaining a back to basics approach the band bring the more analogue aspect back to the band dynamic. Like a whiskey soaked Adele, Larsson’s Blues ridden cries in “I Felt A Change” brings to mind the likes of classic soulful artists, coupled with the simple keyboard brings focus to the woman’s voice. Only waiting to be cherry picked for the latest Quentin Tarantino flick “Bad Talkers” once again brings the air of psychedelia the band bask in throughout the album to the forefront.
The defiant tone of lyrics very much back up Blues Pills‘ case to be a band to be taken seriously. Without need for meticulous calculation of tone or dialling in positions the band bring to the table a sense of pub band with the kind of class that most pub locals wouldn’t find. Bred on a diet of Blues and Soul the band do tip their hat to the more Rock ‘n’ Roll side of things with the inimitable sound of organs on “You Gotta Try” or the anthemic “Rejection” sounding like a hemp stocked version of “Raining Men”. Retaining the sassy, strong independence founded in the seventies Blues Pills are very much a large player in the return of Rock ‘n’ Roll resurgence in the modern scene.
Despite its simplistic nature of song writing the riffs here a kaleidoscopic, adding layers to create a sense of energy which depending on the song has a positive or negative angle. Though the real question is why should you care about Blues Pills when there are countless others in the scene? Crafting solid song writing the band have created a variety of tonalities throughout the record. Often falling into the category of boredom tracks can blend into each other however with Lady In Gold this pitfall is avoided. The ebb and flow of tracks the likes of “Gone So Long” slowly but surely build to the anticipation of their final chorus. Relatable, recognisable and instantly likeable Lady In Gold is a siren’s song to the golden days of the seventies. Basking in the blues, singing in the key of sadness the record while not being essential to everyone’s collection, particularly those of a heavier disposition is a worth a listen at the very least.
[verdict]Maybe[/verdict]
[why]Despite their somewhat softer tone than what Metal heads might be used to, for those wanting to take a trip into psychedelia look no further than the soothing words of Lady In Gold.[/why]
If you like what you read / heard then you can pick up the record here!
