Born Healer

Between the multi-faceted genres of Rock and Blues there are a hell of a lot of very good bands plying their trade. So much so that it is difficult for a band or artist to really stand out from the rest.

One of the bands that does stand out – for many good reasons – is Born Healer. Classic Soul tinged Blues with a rocky edge and fronted by Helen Turner whose vocals – to my ear – sit somewhere between Lydia Pense and Maggie Bell. Lead guitar is from Iain Black and Marek Funkas lays down the bass. Newcomer Steve Weaver adds drums and percussion.

Their last album ‘’Til The Dawn’ was released 6 years back and while they have been busy playing live, it feels as though they have waited a long time to release this set.
Mind, it also feels worth the wait to me, the 10 songs here are great.

There are 6 new originals here as well as re-recordings of tracks they previously issued - ‘Forgot To Forget’ & Heavy Rumble/Old Father Time & River - and from the outset they are funky, rocking and Turner’s vocals are all that you could wish for – full of soul and a cackling sassiness.

The whole album smacks of a band who enjoy the music they are playing and it has a ‘live’ feel to it. There is plenty of attention to detail but it doesn’t sound as though it’s over-produced and the playing has that certain looseness that can make good rock sing.

Standout track is probably the mammoth ‘One Of These Days’, heavy and powerful with a great riff and Turner’s vocals down in the mix so that she is as much an instrument as a voice. Black’s guitar solo is on the very edge of breaking up and the rhythm section creates a dark and portentous groove for the track to sit in.

Very well worth a listen, one of the class acts around at the moment.