Blues Rock! It’s been a long, long time since I stumbled over anything within that genre that I really dug. Come to think of it, I can’t actually remember when that was or who it was. That’s why I didn’t exactly threw myself over the promo of The Nova Hawks debut album after reading the press release. I want to make it clear, though, that I don’t dislike blues-rock per se, it’s just that nothing remotely contemporary has brought much excitement to me. Blues Rock at Frontiers!!! Boy, is that label on a mission to variate themselves. But I’m getting ahead of myself here, let’s just find out who this lot is, shall we – and instead of judging the album by its genre, let’s keep an open mind here – and let’s not forget, most of the music within the Rock genre comes from the Blues at one point or another.
The Nova Hawks is a duo from Great Britain – vocalist Heather Leoni and guitarist Rex Roulette – who formed their brand putting together influences from every location they were at when they were writing – be it London, The West Midlands, New York or Los Angeles where the bottom was the Blues and their British Rock roots. “Each song on the album will tell it’s own story, intertwining personal memoirs of love, heartbreak, overcoming loss and life, defining personal experiences to date. We incorporated these themes within the lyrics to counterbalance each instrument on the album, which pave their own path too. Combined with Gospel Roots and exploring darker themes, this album is something we are truly proud of,” says singer Heather Leoni. Now I’m interested.
Opening with the leading single “Voodoo”, the duo grabs me by the throat and keeps squeezing until I’m dizzy. Damn! This crunchy, upbeat blues-rocker creates a massive groove right from go, earthy and in-your-face with an organic sound. It’s an edgy and raw number but still melodic and holds an intriguing main melody that really hits home. Hypnotic drumming, a steady rhythm, powerful and dynamic with a terrific refrain makes for a winner. First track in and I’m almost down for the count. The hugely groovy title-track – and the second single – follows and this too sets its claws in me and refuses to let go. It’s a slightly down-beat swamp-blues influenced Classic Rock beast that holds a distinct swing with distinct and effective melodies in both verse and refrain. It’s soulful, raw-edged and it’s brilliant!
“Dusty Heart” is slower in pace with a calming atmosphere, very down-to-earth and groundy but with an effective groove. It’s a bit spacey and comes across as an organic blues-rock-ballad, it’s soft yet raw and never even close to mawkish and it brings on a darkening soundscape. There’s also a slight latin influence thrown in which makes the tune even more dynamic. Great stuff. “Witxth” on the other hand, is a mid-paced rhythmic groove-bomb deluxe. It’s a pretty straight-forward number with an insane swing, a chunky beat and crunchy guitars where the late 60’s meets the mid 70’s, very raw and dirty. It lives, breathes and rocks with a slight insert of both psychedelia and gospel – and the chorus is just amazing. What a killer!
Based on the acoustic guitar, “Technicolor” is more stripped down and holds a slower tempo but the soundscape is still on a bigger scale. More a slow-song than an actual ballad, the tune is raw and gritty yet held-back and the guitar solo is edgy and reeks of effusive emotion. Some Country, some Gospel, some Soul and some Rock with both a choir-like backing vocal and an earthy organ, the tune is yet another winner here. Fantastic. “Pills” takes the opposite turn and is more upbeat and striking Classic Rock with a pivotal blues-vibe all over, going for an early 70’s vibe. It’s rhythmic, slightly funky and groovy. It’s an intense rocker with a big live-feel and a rootsy outlook – a total 70’s party-rock groover. Good one.
Latest single “Run Wild” has a title that says fierce rocker but is an acoustic guitar based souly pop-blues-rocker with a big gospel-feel all over. It’s a stripped and earthy number yet smooth and holds a levitating flow within the rhythms which brings a relaxing mood to the table – and the main vocal-melody is really beautiful. The Hammond brings on a Classic Rock vibe as well. I’m not sure if this has any hit-potential but it’s a terrific tune. “Locked Inside” might be slow and down to earth, very organic with a raw and edgy guitar sound but it also brings on a massive groove with a bit of a funky feel. The acoustic and electric guitars works together in fine symbioses and the hooky vocal-melodies makes the song a very memorable one. Very good.
“Greed Or Glory” is a 70’s Classic Rock belter where the duo lets their inner Led Zeppelin, Cream and Free influence run riot. It’s heavy, crunchy, rough and raw with fat rhythms, a steady beat, gritty guitars and a swinging groove which makes me want to go bananas on my beer supply. There’s a southern twang to the tune, the riff is majestic and the chorus could kick down walls. Awesome. Closing track “Love Games (Tuesday’s Blues)” starts out with an acoustic guitar and a down-beat rhythm before it takes on a candid 60’s feel. It also holds a bluesy pop-vibe, a Country twist and a direct and effective main-melody but also raw and raunchy and even a bit trippy at times. The gritty guitar solo brings some more edge to the tune and the vocal melodies, both in verse and chorus are absolutely smashing. Killer!
This album certainly shut me up. Of course, my expectations were zero here but that doesn’t take away from the fact that The Nova Hawks’ debut album is nothing but a damn killer. Sure, the music’s based on traditional blues-rock in the vein of 70’s Classic Rock but the duo throws in influences from all over the place, be it Country, Gospel or Pop and even nods to Hard Rock but it sounds genuine and together and it doesn’t sprawl at all. The production is raw, edgy and gritty but it never gets noisy or unstructured. This, my friends, is an all killer, no filler record and I can’t wait for this pandemic to be over because I’m dying to see this duo live. Buy now!
8/10
Tracklist:
1. Voodoo
2. Redemption
3. Dusty Heart
4. Witxh
5. Technicolor
6. Pills
7. Run Wild
8. Locked Inside
9. Greed Or Glory
10. Love Games (Tuesday’s Blues)
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