ARTiST: The Steepwater Band
ALBUM: Grace And Melody
BiTRATE: 216kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Diamond Day Music
GENRE: Rock
SiZE: 91.96 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 56min 48sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-12-10
STORE DATE: 2008-12-09
Track List:
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01. At The Fall Of The Day 4:12
02. All The Way To Nowhere 4:10
03. Lord Knows 2:49
04. Healer 3:33
05. Waiting To Be Offended 13:38
06. Roadblock 3:52
07. One Way Ride 4:18
08. Fire Away 5:08
09. Grace And Melody 4:35
10. Varoomp! 3:26
11. World Keeps Moving On 7:07
Release Notes:
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Everything about GRACE AND MELODY has the feel of natural born rockers doggedly
focused on making a solid musical impact, the broad, hearty stride of men
determined to get everyone's rocks off. It takes an album like this to make one
appreciate where dedication to the basics, tweaked ever so nicely, can be just
as satisfying, if not more so, than endless innovation. Oh, there's plenty of
great touches û a Beatles-like chord knot here, a Doors-esque bridge there,
ideally placed bursts of distortion û but mostly this hits your belly like a big
steak after a three-day fast. Four albums in, Chicago's The Steepwater Band has
settled into one of the toughest, most together trios around, armed with their
leanest, sharpest tunes yet and a fat-free sound full of flexing muscle and
artful swerve.
Grace has the crunching togetherness of Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) and Steve
Marriott (Small Faces, Humble Pie), where simple phrases or brutally primal
licks are allowed to do their job in an uncluttered way. For as fully fleshed as
each cut feels, there's plenty of space, allowing individual elements to shine û
a groin throbbing bass run, the blue water purr of electric slide, the bright
chatter of cymbals û followed by a coming together that's doggedly sensual. This
is feel rock at its finest, very much the child of early Led Zeppelin, Edgar
Winter Group and Cheap Trick û upfront greats that shake n' bake one to a golden
glow. 'One Way Ride' also suggests a familiarity with Ray & Dave Davies, and
everywhere there's blues reverberations, back alley darkness, the 12-bar crawl
of hard living folks. Sometimes it's inside the buzzsaw rush of 'Healer' or
waiting mid-song to unfold like a navy blue dream on 'Waiting To Be Offended.'
Mostly, the blues are a specter lingering on the edges, taken from the band's
spotlight but still given a place at the table.
Producer Marc Ford does clean, endlessly effective work here, bringing his years
of experience with The Black Crowes, Burning Tree and others to bear. If anyone
knows gut level, guitar-focused rock n' roll it's Ford, and Grace recalls Ford's
own woefully under-recognized solo debut, It's About Time. Both share serious
songcraft, a broad stylistic range and hardnosed playing that places their
albums squarely in the proverbial 'they-don't-make-em-like-that-anymore'
category but without any recreationist reek. There's the denim and incense of
the late '60s/early '70s, where exuberant exploration is anchored to a great
beat and nostril flaring riffing. 'Waiting To Be Offended' may clock in at
almost 14 minutes but you never feel the time as their beatifically stoned,
black snake moan curls around you. Steepwater excel at tight, pointed numbers,
too, which is a mark of the band's growing range. By toning down their
allegiances to any sort of blues or classic rock standards and listening to
their instincts they've crafted a remarkably sturdy foundation for a very bright
future. This is the abounding whomp of a band that's always been very good
teetering on the edge of greatness. And by album's end I'd be surprised if you
weren't rooting for them to topple all the way into full blown glory.
~ DENNIS COOK | WWW.JAMBASE.COM
~~~~
Chica go's Steepwater Band has been playing a blend of blues, boogie, and
psychedelia around the world since 1998, progressing from basic blues to an
original sound that incorporates more songwriting and classic rock influences.
Grace And Melody continues the evolution; produced by ex-Black Crowes guitarist
and Grammy winner Marc Ford, the record has an updated '70s vibe and, although
it has a strong blues influence, aspires to a rock audience. "Lord Knows" and
"The Healer" stand out, but the whole album works if you ever wondered what the
Faces might sound like in the 21st Century.
~ Mike O'Cull | ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER