It was a thoroughly pleasant spring day where I live today.
I was driving home from work with the windows open and Ok, its Monday, and it’s not exactly the most picturesque part of the country, sitting in a traffic jam on a main road on the outskirts of Birmingham, but nonetheless, for a Monday, it wasn’t bad.
Blackbird Sons were probably designed with days like this in mind.
They proved with their “Back In The Game” EP that came out in 2017 but found its way onto these pages around Christmas time last year that they were rather good at good time rock n roll.
The clue this time is in the title. There is no point, after all, reinventing the wheel, when the wheel works and that feel is all over the five tracks here – and absolutely unashamedly so too.
BS haven’t come all the way from Finland to BS anyway, as it were.
Instead the title track is three minutes of hard rock boogie fury that suggests if they weren’t in a band like this, they’d be watching one. The very first line “alright people are you ready to go, get your ass down here and enjoy the show” is your signpost to these things. Niko on vocals makes it clear. This is music for enjoying, not analysing. And preferably live.
“Rolling” adds a dirty bluesy boogie and you wouldn’t have to look forward to find a ZZ Top Southern tex mex taco in here. “speeding down the fast lane, leaving behind the life I know” he sings here. This wants the spotlight, this wants girls, fame, and it is not going to apologise for that either.
If you’re waiting for some AC/DC type deal then look no further than “She Is Evil” – but as that both borrows a Maiden bassline and the intro for “Thunderstruck” you have to love it, it’s the law. It’s actually the best thing here, because it’s as catchy as the phenomenal “Easy” from their last EP (if you haven’t got it, get it).
“Break Me Down” does the same thing, but with more of a crunch, and you can almost see them playing this on stage. “Running Away” on the other hand is a drum and bass style left turn with Niko spitting out the beats. Actually that’s a lie (but you knew that) but it does sound like Ratt.
The best thing about Blackbird Sons is that they like the same bands you do. They are just talented enough to prove it. They the hard rock band you fantasise about being in, in your head, on the way home from work. Possibly on a pleasant sunny day – unless that’s just me.
Rating 8.5/10
