Troy Redfern - This Raging Heart (2020)
First new album of 2020, and it’s set a bloody high benchmark for the year. No great changes in Troy’s at technique, alley cat vocals and a visceral slide guitar being the mainstay; not that it’s all brutal, espeically the air In Memories, reminiscent of Amazing Grace, but with such a light touch…
So, beginning with ‘Wrong Side Of The Tracks’ which is a runaway steam train of an opener with that slide working overtime before Troy’s snarling tones kick in. letting up, but only slightly is ‘Tonight’, and this has a wonderful Stonesy swagger to it.
‘It Ain’t Easy’ has different, but no less infectious beat, letting the slide rest a little, before ‘On My Knees’ sees the slide returning, working its magic on this hypnotic track.‘ My Oh My’ is old school blues boogie, almost rockabilly in places, something Troy excelles at. Then ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is just awesome. ‘Engraved’ is a slow burner and sees Troy swapping the Silvertone for some resonator guitar work. ‘Left For Dead’ lifts the pace back up to an almost frantic level with some full on playing before ‘In Memories’ brings us a slower instrumental gospel-blues tune which has a really beautiful sound and shows that it’s not all playing like your hair is on fire.
Closing this 36 minute piledriver of an album we have ‘Slash And Burn’, which pretty much book-ends how we started: energetic, full on, until nothing left in the tanks. Again there is that rockabilly undertone which works so well.
Great end to a wonderful album, and a really good showcase for Troy’s talents. If this album was a fun to make as it has been to listen to since it shredded my door mat yesterday, then the upcoming tour with WATB is going to be wild…
Cuig - Theory of Chaos 2018
This is the 2nd album from the young Irish quintet and one I’d very much recommend as it shows a quantum leap in their development and confidence. The traditional Irish folk roots are still there, but more as a framework as the Stewart brothers and the Murphy brothers exercise their writing skills, especially Cathal, coming to the forefront. What they’ve prodced here is a very polished, progressive album, acknowledging their roots while showing a more contemporary feel.
Break out the Bushmills…..
All those who believe in psychokenesis raise my hand........
