Blues Rock
Rattle Shake Records
Release Date – March 24th 2023
Line Up:
Tyler Bryant – Vocals/Guitar
Graham Whitford – Guitar
Caleb Crosby – Drums
Tracklist:
1 – Strike
2 – Burnin’
3 – Dirty Work
4 – Sho’ Been Worse
5 – Thunder
6 – Fore And Brimstone
Tyler Bryant has come a long way in his young life. The fact he looks too young to be married let alone to Rebecca Lovell of Larkin Poe irritates me no end plus the bloke can sing and play the guitar like a seasoned pro. Recently he was honored with his signature model Fender Stratocaster, so he’s doing something right. I will overlook my irritation because he and his Shakedown know how to write a decent song and how to produce said songs to a stunning level.
Opener ‘Strike’ is a little over a minute of Zep-style echoey noodling before ‘Burnin’’ brings a nasty sleazy slice of bluesy Americana. The title track gets moody and dark with some fine harmony vocals courtesy of I don’t know who plus we get some wonderful slide dobro making it feel classic. ‘Sho’ Been Worse’ is a honky tonkin gritty blues rocker that’s sparse and raw and that’s continued ‘Thunder’ before the final cut of ‘Fire And Brimstone’ goes low, slow, and spacy.
The guitar is a wonderfully versatile instrument, whether it moves air or electrons, in the right hands it can be a seriously potent weapon. Tyler Bryant isn’t doing anything new but what he does with those six strings is world-class. He plays with depth, feeling, and emotion all coming through his fingers and his voice ain’t too bad either. A shout out too for Graham Whitford and Caleb Crosby (both rock n roll royalty) who provide the perfect foil for the rootsy honest music that’s produced. Six tracks of sublimity. Sit back with a brew and enjoy.
Score: 10/10
Reviewed by: Smudge
