Started in 2011 and playing Roadburn last April 2013, Blues Pills are now signed with Nuclear Blast and quickly becoming quite the rising star. With the incredibly powerful, husky vocals by Elin Larsson, the blonde Swedish front Fury of the international quartet, incredible soulful guitar lines by the French youngster Dorian Sorriaux (only just 18) and a rocking, swinging base laid down in bass and drums by the two American initiators of the band Zack Anderson and Cory Berry, it’s a trip back to the birth of music festivals in the late 60’s early 70’s. Devil Man (Nuclear Blast) conjures a sense of a jam between Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Cream.
The title track, ‘Devil Man’, is definitely their most catchy song, showcasing all the strengths of the band quite well, with driving bass and drums, almost roaring vocals and complex guitar lines that feel so easy yet leave you awestruck. A personal favorite of mine, however, has become ‘The River’, a soulful, melancholy lament about leaving one’s home and life behind to go hunting for gold by the river. The combination of laidback drums, weeping guitars and a certain desperation in the vocals make it into an incredibly engaging song. “Its hard. its hard, but I learn and I get better.” Those are words to live by.
One thing that comes back in all songs, whether full out rock n’roll or more a blues ballad is a relatively simple song structure, made interesting and complex by bass variations, drum fills and guitar solos that have a distinct jammed out or even improvised feeling. It gives the band a very full sound that amazes me every time and also makes for a playful, relaxed feel that’s wonderfully refreshing in an era every little corner of music can be perfected into infinity.
Sadly the Ep only consists of four songs, and leaves you wanting for more, more, more. All we can do is hope these youngsters will pop out a new record as fast as they’re rising to fame, to sate hunger they leave in your heart as the record spins to its close. I think we’ll repeat it again.
8/10
Susanne Maathuis