Blues Pills - Blues Pills

Artist: Blues Pills
Album: Blues Pills
Year: 2014
Rating: 92/100

Over the last few years there has been a huge resurgence in top quality psychedelic rock acts. Graveyard, Purson, Wolf People and Spiders, to name but a few, have caused a few ripples with consistently excellent albums. None of these bands, however, seem set to take the world by storm quite in the same way as Blues Pills do.

Based in Örebro, Sweden, with Swedish, French and American members, Blues Pills have the very obvious influences, such as Cream, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, but instead of borrowing heavily from them, they use these artists as minor cues to create something that is entirely their own. Zack Anderson and Cory Berry on bass and drums are fluid and unflappable, and guitarist Dorian Sorriaux has the licks and chops that would make the likes of Mick Ralphs and Jimi Hendrix proud. Sorriaux gets to showcase this best on the frenetic "Devil Man".

The real jewel in Blues Pills' crown, however, is the extraordinary singing voice of front woman Elin Larsson. Every single line she delivers is finely nuanced, and she lets rip when she needs to, such as on "High Class Woman", "Ain't No Change", and "Devil Man". But where Elin excels is where the pace is a little bit slower, such as the verses of another album ripper, "Black Smoke", or the beautiful, anthemic "Little Sun", which closes the album off, and sees her crooning with every fibre of her very being.

While what Blues Pills do might not be highly original, the talent, promise and enthusiasm to create something quite extraordinary is all there in abundance, and they pull it off with aplomb. On this evidence, Blues Pills could well be absolutely huge in years to come if they continue at this level.

Track List

1. High Class Woman
2. Ain't No Change
3. Jupiter
4. Black Smoke
5. River
6. No Hope Left For Me
7. Devil Man
8. Astralplane
9. Gypsy
10. Little Sun