Artist: Rival Sons
Album: Feral Roots
Year: 2019
Rating: 93/100
Well, bloody hell. Where do I start with this? Everyone seems to be acquainted with Rival Sons and their energetic, high octane brand of hard rock, only this time it seems to have been cranked up to 11, and unlike Greta Van Fleet, the LA quartet are absolutely the real deal. They've seemingly been on a creative roll since Great Western Valkyrie dropped in 2014, and album number five, Feral Roots, is their first album for Atlantic Records.
It doesn't feel like Rival Sons have elected to polish their sound to excess, which is an encouraging start. Opening track "Do Your Worst" is very much business as usual, with the taut rhythm section of Dave Beste and Mike Miley holding a steady groove down, while guitarist Scott Holiday makes his guitar squeal in a way that only he can against the soaring holler of Jay Buchanan's vocals. Elsewhere, the acoustic intros of "Look Away", "End of Forever" and the title track provide a welcome change of pace, while gospel-tinged closing number "Shooting Stars" winds things down perfectly.
While Feral Roots is certainly more accessible than its predecessor Hollow Bones was, that's something that works in its favour. This album feels very much like the album that would deservedly propel Rival Sons into rock's big leagues, and not a moment too soon, either. I can't recommend this highly enough.
Track listing
1. Do Your Worst
2. Sugar on the Bone
3. Back in the Woods
4. Look Away
5. Feral Roots
6. Too Bad
7. Stood By Me
8. Imperial Joy
9. All Directions
10. End of Forever
11. Shooting Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment