No Sinner

When No Sinner graced us in November they featured all the numbers from this extended EP or mini-LP and tore the place apart with some great playing and Colleen Rennison’s outrageous singing and performance – they may be an old fashioned bar band but they are a brilliant one and if you like hearty US Blues with a touch of raunch then this oughta be on your wish list, sharpish.

Colleen reckons that she has been compared to Janis Joplin while she was growing up and she definitely has that sense of ‘durrty gurl’ about her but she also has the quality of a Grace Slick to her voice and no little pop sensibility to go with it. She is backed up by a band that hits all the right spots and in Eric Campbell they have a really fine guitarist who can do the hot stuff as well as the subtle numbers.
There really isn’t a weak moment on the album – from the opening drums and vocals of the title track that puts you right in the middle of a soul/Blues romp and on to the sassy and slinky ‘Love Is A Madness’ you immediately begin to fall for Colleen’s voice, loaded with smoke and whisky and with just the right amount of cackle. Rhythm section of Ian Browne & Bradley Ferguson hold it all together with a powerful yet subtle sound – their control allowing Colleen to go as crazy as she likes – and always the guitar underpinning and guiding the song.
Through ‘Runnin’’ and ‘If Anything’ you get the sound of a band that is fresh with energy and then on to their version of Nina Simone’s ‘Work Song’, loaded with power and menace. ‘Rise Up’ is the first indication that they really can do the emotional stuff too and with the vocal on the edge of tears and an oh-so-subtle organ behind the vocal and guitar it is the finest form of gospel.
The album closes out with the immense blast of ‘Devil On My Back’ and the beautiful ‘September Moon’ showing that Rennison is a singer as well as a shouter.

There really isn’t a minute of this set that doesn’t impress with the quality of the playing and the vocal dexterity of Colleen Rennison – a real find and someone who really should be destined for the big halls before long.