REVIEW: BLACK MARKET SALESMEN – BRAINSTORM (2018)

Published:

Last seen on these pages at the end of 2017 when they were the band behind Izzy Miller’s return from the wilderness, “Brainstorm” is the first endeavour in their own right for Alabama’s Black Market Salesmen.

A four tracker with much to get excited about across its 15 minutes, it is lovingly crafted by  Grammy-nominated and multiple gold and platinum musician/producer Joey Huffman, who worked with Matchbox Twenty, was instrumental in that aforementioned Miller record and supplies his keyboard wizardry here too.

Reading the title for the first track, “Flower Child” conjured up imagery for me of laid back 60s vibes and summers of love. Images that the sound of the song did nothing to dissuade. Resolutely and proudly not of this era, there is a Doors vibe in evidence here.

But they’ve already proved in their short careers that they are not a band that likes to stick to a template and so it is that “Vapour Trail” is reminiscent of The White Stripes at their most mellow, and the guitar tone that the four piece achive is quite wonderful.

Klayton Hodges is a man possessed with a voice that is made for this type of music too, and his vocals blend superbly with some fuzzy lead on the title track, which sounds more full of life than anything Rival Sons have done in a very long time indeed.

For my money, though, the pick of this brilliant bunch comes in the last song. “Over Time” comes in on the back of another strident guitar line and builds to something very special and its solo to play out is one of the finest you’ll here this side of a Free record.

There’s more than enough here to suggest that Black Market Salesmen won’t have to do the hard sell. Buy it and revel in it, because that’s what “Brainstorm” deserves. Brimming with ideas and talent, it is four tracks to lose yourself in for a while.

Rating 9/10

More From Author

spot_img

Popular Posts

Latest Gig Reviews

Latest Music Reviews

spot_img

Band Of The Day