By: Marc Gaffney
Album Type: Full
Length
Date Released: 25/7/2014
Label: Nuclear
Blast
Do yourself a favor and get this album and put on your headphones
and let it take you musically on a safari of heartache, essence, guitar solos
and a rhythm section that can swing and sway with the best of them.
‘Blues Pills’
CD/LP/DD track listing:
1. High Class Woman 4:28
2. Ain't No Change 4:58
3. Jupiter 4:06
4. Black Smoke 5:09
5. River 4:23
6. No Hope Left For Me 3:53
7. Devil Man 3:06
8. Astralplane 4:39
9. Gypsy 3:09
10. Little Sun 4:50
The Review:
Wow,
it is not every day that you get amazing vocals, great ambient guitar work, and at times a bass line that is so
fundamentally strong it could hold up a building. Not to forget, drums
that are chugging and behind the beat at the same time.
There
is a name for this wonderful mixture, Blues Pills, and it is
encapsulated in their self titled album. If you are a fan of Graveyard, The Doors, early Aretha Franklin, think, “It Ain’t Fare”, with Duanne Allman.
Also, Pink Floyd and Janis,
just to name a few, then you will surely dig this album. Right off the
bat with ‘High Class Woman’, you are
immediately consumed by the vocals. If in fact it is true that first
impressions are everything, then Elin Larrson knocks it out of the park. The
vocals, not just on this song, but the whole album is in touch with the soul of
the writer. They grab you and take you on an emotional journey that is hitting
on such mature levels, that everyone can relate too.
Some
of the standouts for me; basically all of them but a few that really had me
musically and lyrically, were ‘Jupiter’.
Musically it has a psychedelic feel, dual vocals, into a single vocal, back
into dual vocals. Everything gels, a great guitar solo and a wonderful boogie
that makes you bop without even knowing you are into it. The guitars have such
an immaculate fuzz tone, that other bands will search their whole life for, and
a breakdown that makes you realize just how all of the moments really jive
together as one.
‘Blacksnake’ is another, in which I
truly gravitated towards. Really powerful intro, again, the tune makes you want
to shake your ass when it gets going. The effects used so nicely, slide
guitar slashing its way through a maze of thick and thin tonality. Also, it
slows down in just the right spot. It is my favorite track on the album.
‘No Hope Left for Me’, is song with a
really nice pocket along with a really tight bass line. Vocally this song
consumed me for some reason. I think it’s because instrumentally, there is a
nice bit of room for the voice to float over and when the background vocals
come in, it really gives it that cosmic feel, that you are part of the song. It
has such a simplistic yet intricate affair with the audience’s auditory system.
Last
one I will hit upon is, ‘Little Sun’,
a truly beautiful way to end the album; like I said all of the lyrics on the
album are so relatable and breathe with such maturity that lyrically it floats
above a wall of great instrumentation. This album has everything from straight
ahead rock, to boogie, to slow, emotional grabbers, to great songs to go on a
road trip with.
What
is really impressive is how every little piece fits so well. The vocals are so
strong because they are guided instrumentally, that they are truly flowing
musically and not afraid to switch genres in the middle of a song. Hence; this
is the reason why so many people will truly dig this piece of work. Also, the
album breathes, in what I mean by that, is that it never sounds crowded. There
is nothing fighting or trying to out duel each other. The mix is liberating to
the ear.
Being
a huge fan of Joni Mitchell, Nancy Wilson,
Aretha Franklin, I am now a fan of Elin Larrson.
She is one of the best I have heard in a while and it is so refreshing.
Do yourself a favor and get this album and put on your headphones and let it
take you musically on a safari of heartache, essence, guitar solos and a rhythm
section that can swing and sway with the best of them.
This
album was a pleasure to review.
“Blues Pills”
is available here
