The iconic and rhythmically hard hitting RATTLE THE BONES kicks off this beautifully captured live release from BEAU + LUCI. The track emerges with the weight and swagger of a blues-rock or swamp rock classic, thick bass and drum-lines intertwine, electric guitar solos run free, and adding that necessary flicker of identity is the two paired leading voices – their softness and strength together carries the melody and energy of the song perfectly. Think Band Of Skulls meets Fleetwood Mac, and a gentler, folk singer and songwriter, just to mix things up further. The sound is brilliant, heavy and infectiously melodic, uplifting, and stunning to consider this is all a one-take live show – right there in your living room.
DEEPER WELL pours through with a traditional folk melody and poetic story-line, the dramatic beat and the distorted guitar, plus the later quickness of that vocal delivery, adds a necessary edge to the piece and keeps the BEAU + LUCI sound and intensity at the forefront of the experience. Things grow more and more immersive and energizing as the track progresses.
MUDDY WATER is a personal highlight from this collection, even from the very start the band have full control of the moment and utilise every second to create an atmospheric and captivating arena of sound and expression. The melody and the riffs that follow have a fairly simplistic, ever recognisable feel to them, so the whole thing just satisfies and entertains throughout.
After this, BLACK BOOTS takes a turn down a fairly mellow, cool and moody street, within which a few minimalist elements allow a brilliantly unique, meandering melody-line to roam free. The three consecutive sections of this track enthrall the audience as if they were scenes in a short play. The back and forth between the solo vocal and the grouped ones also adds further dynamic to an already colourful piece of music. A hint of Arctic Monkeys seems to come alive here, particularly when the melody and the guitar line walk hand in hand.
What’s great about this album is that rather than make you feel as if you’ve already now caught a live show from the band, it makes you desperate to actually get in there and witness it all in real time – the atmosphere, the crowd, the energy. LIKE A DRUM brings through a particular feeling of togetherness as these melodic ‘woah’s draws you in and the surrounding lyrics paint a personal, metaphorical picture before you. The drums and the guitars, even the vocals – everything builds and builds throughout this track to end things at the height of passion and volume.
50 FEET closes the short collection down with all that came before and a flicker of something new. The contrast between the full, thick audio moments and those that are distinctly spacious creates a classic, even vintage blues-rock feel that captures your affection one last time before things come to a huge finish. The pace is up, the emotion is genuine, the guitar work is superb – stylish and skillful. A great way to go out and a comforting moment of realization that this project as an EP is incredibly easy – necessary even – to revisit again and again.
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