Simon RushworthBlues Pills – Lady In Gold (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Heavy Rock
Details: Limited edition orange vinyl with signed insert/Gatefold sleeve
Blues Pills’ colourful journey to the summit of heavy, psych-tinged blues rock gathers pace with the lavishly produced and lusciously packaged Lady In Gold. Vinyl fans and audiophiles alike will lap up the studious Don Alsterberg production, the trademark Marijke Koger-Dunham artwork and the translucent orange wax. It’s wonderfully retro but it’s so right now.
Frontwoman Elin Larsson sounds somewhat warmer than last time out: perhaps its confidence, perhaps its experience or maybe it’s just that Lady In Gold is an album fully geared towards showcasing a comforting tone that’s always liable to leap out and slap you down just when you’re at your most vulnerable.
The magical title track is a lyrical treat – painting a foreboding picture of impending death against the backdrop of Larsson’s unique, deceptive vocal. Guitar god Dorian Sorriaux is in dangerously addictive form as his intuitive Blackmore-meets-Iommi touch tantalises and teases in equal measure.
Alsterberg has clearly demanded Blues Pills push themselves to the creative limit and by doing so he’s masterminded a modern classic. Waves of piano, organ and mellotron wash over the record’s more psych and doom flavoured moments but Larsson and co. are neither Purson clones nor Huntress wannabes.
This killer quartet inhabit a rich musical landscape all of their own and let’s hope the brilliant Burned Out isn’t a glimpse into Blues Pills’ future. Right now that future should excite any fan of heavy rock missing their fix of Sabbath-inlfuenced shenanigans.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Gold Standard