This is Rebecca’s sixth studio album, and it finds her in the best voice of any of her award winning albums. 10 new tracks, all written by Rebecca and guitarist (and bass and Hammond) Steve Birkett and featuring Neil Ablard on drums.
The album doesn’t make any great, new strides in Blues/Rock but it does present some bloody fine music as well as Rebecca’s sultry and soulful vocals.
The Hammond sound is classic, and Birkett’s guitar work is superb – subtle but right there at the right time. No shredding, just Blues lines played beautifully and hitting exquisite peaks.
There is a fine balance between the ballsier material such as ‘Never Gonna Take You Back’ and the slow burn stuff such as ‘These Days’ and, as a listener, you find yourself getting involved with the music as the tracks unfold.
‘Bitter Taste’ is a gorgeous ballad with a haunting Hammond, cut by some simply beautiful guitar lines but always with Downes vocals drawing the ear into the song – her atmospheric wailing is very Stevie Nicks but she has a depth and ‘edge’ that Stevie never did.
Rebecca says: “The anticipation of the release of a new album creates a maelstrom of feelings. There's a huge sense of satisfaction in having completed all the work, but significant trepidation about how it will be received. I am first and foremost a song writer (who is lucky enough to have a wonderful co-songwriter). Writing songs, creating music and releasing original tracks is part of the fabric of what we are. Once again, the new music is very much the product of our creative process taking us where it went, rather than us trying to replicate a formula. And while there is definitely a lot of focus on relationships in the songs, the lyrics also have a wider resonance in these difficult times.”
All in, a fine album. Memorable songs and some fine playing. A real belter.
