Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Rival Sons, Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records 2019.
Rival Sons sixth album is a cracker.
Every album released by the Californian band has displayed wonderful musicianship and this album is no different.
Unlike other heavy rock outfits, Rival Sons go out of their way to provide remarkable variety on their albums.
They provide everything from high energy riffing to slow and bluesy, almost sombre and melancholy, rhythms.
A lot of time has been devoted to giving each track on Feral Roots its own individual sound.
On the open track, Do Your Worst, the vocals become another instrument blending with the vibrant guitars and powerful rhythm section to create a perfect intro to the album.
Sugar on The Bone steps the energy up a gear driven by boisterous drumming while Look Away begins with a laid back acoustic intro before developing to a powerful rock track.
This variety carries through the whole album.
All Directions shifts into dreamy power-ballad territory before being drawn back into rock via a great guitar riff.
The title track is a standout.
It signals a shift in tone introducing a softer and broader palette of sounds. The fingerpicked guitar and intricate melody creates a mesmerising flow that is hard to resist.
There’s almost a cinematic element to much of the music on the disc. Tracks run together creating a flow that unites the whole album.
Rival Sons show us that good high quality guitar driven rock is not dead.
On Feral Roots the band presents 11 tracks of classic blues-derived rock which intertwines intricate rhythms with warm vocals and memorable melodies as well as careful thought to how the sounds ebb and flow to produce their best album yet.
I really like this album.
I like the musicianship, the variety, and the quality of the production.
If you haven’t heard Rival Sons then this is a good album to start with.
