Blues All Around
Quarto Valley, 2023
9/10
The British blues rockers Savoy Brown never disappoint, and this outing will unfortunately be the last for the founder, guitarist and singer-songwriter Kim Simmonds, who succumbed to cancer just days after his 75th birthday.
“Falling Through” gets the listen off to a rhythmic start, where mesmerizing guitar guides the brief climate, and “Black Heart” follows with thumping drums and rugged singing in the gritty blues-rock.
The title track lands in the middle and illustrates Simmonds’ moody organ prowess amid the spirited guitar riffs, while “Winning Hand” balances power and melody in the thick display of memorable song craft that has thankfully been present for decades.
Further still, “California Days Gone By” illustrates the trio’s dynamic chemistry with plenty of buzzing ideas alongside the expressive singing, and “Falling Through The Cracks” exits with a raw and hypnotic finish of bare but impactful songwriting.
Savoy Brown began in 1965, and this multi-layered approach with regard to the guitar parts and progressive version of blues that’s also populated by Pat DeSalvo’s bass and Garnet Grimm’s drumming and percussion is yet another excellent installment of the Savoy Brown legacy.
Travels well with: Walter Trout- Ride; Joe Bonamassa- Time Clocks