Troy Redfern

Rock is supposed to be about the raw and untrammelled shock of a punch to the heart. Not sophisticated, overlaid, overdubbed and thought-provoking.
Too many of today’s ‘Rock stars’ have become lazy, introspective and ignoring music of the heart and soul.

Not so Mr Redfern.
Troy Redfern’s live shows have always been an explosion of exposed emotion and searing slide guitar, enough power to knock you back into your seat but enough quality songwriting to keep you listening to the whole song.

This album is about Troy trying to get that same experience into a record. No overdubs, all guitar solos made up in the moment and accompanied by just Nicky Waters on drums.
He also produced and engineered the recording himself – no-one else to blame if it comes up short.

And in the main, does it work. Hell yeah! It is an album that asks to be played loud, asks the listener to give themself to the act of absorbing what he is laying down.

It isn’t overly clever, not produced to death and most definitely the best kind of raw.
Waters’ drums are a counterpoint to Redfern’s vicious slide and snarling vocals. The songs all have titles like ‘Takin’ My Soul’ or ‘The Road To Retribution’ or ‘Sacrifice’. You quickly get the point – this is straight from the heart and all of the lifeblood it takes to make your way in today’s world is in there.

I could go on for many paragraphs about each song but suffice to say that this is exciting and mesmerising, you are drawn in to the music and left breathless as each song ends. And maybe surprised by just how good a guitarist Troy Redfern actually is.

One of the best things I’ve heard this year – bar a very few.