Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Rubber Soul Child, ToonsFarm 2021.
I don’t know much about American rock outfit Rubber Soul Child other than to say that they are new on the block and Time is their first single.
The inspiration for the band name is fairly obvious and they have even adopted a version of The Beatles Rubber Soul logo from the band’s 1965 album of the same name as their band logo but that’s pretty much where the comparison ends.
Where The Beatles musical palette was particularly broad, even including whimsy in the form of Yellow Submarine and possibly Penny Lane, Rubber Soul Child never stray far from power blues.
Musically they are more closely aligned with the British power rock trios of the 1970s such as Cream, Gary Moore, and particularly Robin Trower and his many band iterations.
The similarities aren’t just skin deep, the same line-up of guitar, bass and drums, and attention to detail in their sound transports us back to those heady days when it was cool to be British.
Time is full of soaring vocals and power rock riffs that hearkens back to the time when British hard rock bands ruled the airwaves and bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were megastars who required their own cargo planes to move them around the globe.
Rubber Soul Child are only just starting on their journey but they know their stuff. Musically they are very skilful.
There’s that hard gritty edge to the music that’s so enticing and lead guitarist/singer, Dyer, sounds for all the world like a cross between Jack Bruce and Gary Moore, with maybe a little Robert Plant thrown in for good measure.
The other two members are Brandon Pugh on drums and Aaron Grove on bass and they set up a solid bottom end that Dyer’s guitar and vocals soars and dives over.
This track is an auspicious start. It’ll be interesting to see how they follow it up.
There’s a great clip of Time on YouTube so check it out.
