ALBUM OF THE WEEK- BRIDGET KELLY BAND- DARK SPACES

Blues aficionados The Bridget Kelly Band return with their sixth studio album in 8 years, since their inception in 2012. Dark Spaces comprises 13 tracks of Memphis/Texas blues blended with Southern rock and plenty of gusto.

The Bridget Kelly band were formed in Gainesville by the charismatic charms of the aforementioned Bridget Kelly and the award-winning guitar wizard Tim Fik. They have forged a firm fanbase across the States with extensive airplay on SIRIUS XM, as well as regular features on SPOTIFY, DEEZER, PANDORA etc. They combine strong songcraft with riff-driven blues and emotive vocals to create a settling atmosphere for the musically inclined.

The album starts ablaze with the scintillating Free Me. Kelly typically delivers a sultry performance on vocals against the picturesque backdrop of 12- bar blues so pleasantly mastered by Fik; which subsequently explodes into a flurry of blues notes.

The punchy Sky's The Limit instantly follows suites with another soulful burst of renewable energy from Kelly in this optimistic message about realistically achieving your aspirations. The drumming remains intact, as Fik efficiently delivers another Satriani- style solo

Thing's About To Change is a slow blues-number that invariably sees Kelly in a reflective mood in this stripped back track with strong contributions on bass and drum to naturally feel like an easy listening part of the album.

Someone's Gotta Dance is an upbeat track joyfully celebrating the decorative art of swaying hips. The percussive beats are carefully designed for that instinctive reaction with Fik and Ambrecht combining to create a funky jam. Kelly's vocals are more open and varied, allowing her to feel like she is enjoying herself. This is one song that stood out for me because of the enthusiasm and air of fun expressed.

Southern Wind is a chilled out Southern rock song in the style of The Allmans with dual vocal counterpoints re-enforcing that earthly feeling on these hot summer afternoons.

And finally, Your Days Are Numbered is a satisfactory way to finish with a scintillating expression of electric blues that sees Fink clambering all over the fretboard with a deft skill of precision and desire.

Dark Spaces is a moving album with a blend of lighter moments and touching areas of deep reflection to deliver a solid outing for Bridget Kelly band. 

Words by Anselm Anderson

Dark Spaces is now available via all good music platforms.

Band members

Bridget Kelly- Vocals

Tim Fik- Guitars, Vocals

Greg Mullins & Mark Ambrecht- Bass

Alex Klausner & Tim Mulberry- Drums

Social Media Accounts

https://www.facebook.com/BKBblues/

https://www.instagram.com/bridgetkellyband/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/bkbblues?lang=en

Click on the player below to listen to the music;

SONG OF THE DAY- KING'S COUNTY- I RAN

Floridian Hard rockers' King's County returns with a nod to their past, paying homage to their 80's influences with a cover of " I Ran" by New wave band A Flock of Seagull's . The Liverpudlians played a role on them early in their careers. King's County frontman Rob Dexter explains the reasons behind the choice to record the track as " We've always been fans of the 80's new wave bands and their music really converts nicely to hard Rock. Whether the meaning of "I Ran" is someone running towards or away from something, Kings County's version will have you banging your head while grabbing for a can of aquanet."

King's County has created a rockier version of the track with added panache behind the music. I Ran instantly begins with a howling wind like something newly arrived from the Antarctic before the resonated chimes of the guitar tremble along the melodic lines. Dexter's distorted melodies are warm and introspective as he croons about the one that got away. The edgier guitar breaks in between verses and pummeling drums in the mid eight define it from the original because it feels more personal to the metal outfit, whilst attempting to sticking to the melodic songwriting that made it so important to many other groups of pomp. The final instrumental outro feels like a fitting tribute.

King's County I Ran is available from today via all good musical platforms.

Band Members

Rob Dexter- Vocals, Bass

Steve Bell (Guitars, Vocals),

Joe Lopez (Drums)

Bill Kania (Guitars, Vocals).

Social Media Accounts

https://www.instagram.com/kingscountyofficial/

https://www.facebook.com/kingscountyband

h ttps://twitter.com/KingsCounty3?s=20

Click on the player below to listen to the song;

Song of the Day- Campbell Harrison- The River

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Campbell Harrison is an emerging talent on the Americana scene. He recently enjoyed a twelve-week run on the Apple Featured Hot Tracks chart in April with new single "The River", A melodic song about typically facing the struggles of everyday life with good intentions.

Harrison combines deep lyrics with an upbeat tone that will leave you tapping your feet, as well as reflecting on life's issues. He has been compared to Jack Johnson and Ray Lamontagne and winning praise from national radio stations for his distinct voice and songwriting.

The River is another entranced example from the deep roots of Americana. Harrison compares neat guitar work with simple strumming patterns and a fingerpicking style, along with a harmonious singing voice to create an easy-listening track. Harrison's storytelling relates to many people in that situation of finding escapism through life's struggles. The percussive beats on the guitar elevate Harrison's soft timbre to build to a catchy chorus and solo to finish an enjoyable track for these ears.

Words by Anselm Anderson

The River is available now on all good musical platforms.

Click on the video player below to listen to the track;

Social Media

Facebook

Twitter 

Instagram

YouTube

EP REVIEW- KINSTRIFE- INTERVENTION

Words by Anselm Anderson

Hereford - based hard rockers' Kinstrife, named after a civil war in The Lord Of the Rings,
is a four-piece collective content on merging the border between classic rock and contemporary metal. The quintet now unleashes their debut EP Intervention, on priming ears fro the first time on July 31st via Forge AMP. The label has a knack for discovering talented unsigned artists, and Kinstrife is no exception to the rule. The ensemble's penchant for personal lyrics, combined with massive choruses and strong songwriting share similarities with bands like Shinedown and Inglorious. The group formed in 2003 by Lead guitarist Alan Kaye and Bassist Dave Richards,
The duo was promptly joined by vocalist Mike Hoskins and drummer Simon Richards.

2020 seems to be a critical breakthrough for them with extensive international airplay and interviews including crucial exposure to their increasing popularity. The four-song EP combines 80's ballads with aggressive modern rock to introduce new listeners to emerging talent.

Intervention serves as a timely reminder that you can write songs with plenty of riffs and meaningful lyrics. The opening riff is thick with distortion and rattles those earlobes to segue into Hoskin's commanding vocals. The song soon whips up a frenzy with a dual guitar combination of wah wah madness and a hazy solo this provides a suitable track to commence proceedings.

Fear is an enchanting ballad I believe could be about lost love. Once again, Hoskins' rich and powerful tone is accompanied by harmonic instrumentation that is a heart-rendering piece. The vocalist sounds in deep reflection, as another dual-guitar solo ends this track like a touching farewell.

Unconditional remains the lengthiest song on here, clocking over 6 minutes. This is an 80's style ballad, which opens with a string of pinch harmonics to feel more personal than the preceding tracks. The voice is more versatile and rich with emotion to express deep sorrow. The rhythm section also shows impressive skills and techniques to craft inspiring songs for the listener to relate with.

And Finally, Getaway returns to a full-throttle rocker that will blow your socks off. The song begins with groove- orientated riffs combined with thick breakdowns that hark back to 90's grunge bands like Pearl Jam.

Overall, Kinstrife serves an engaging and dynamic dish of cutting edge songs and crafted musicianship to keep all entertained for a short while at least.

Kinstrife, Intervention was released today (July 31st) via all good music platforms.

Social Media

https://en-gb.facebook.com/KinStrifeuk/

Band Members;

Mike Hoskins- Vox, Rhythm Guitar

Alan Kaye- Lead Guitars

Dave Richards- Bass

Simon Richards- Drums

Click on the player below to listen to the EP;