Simon RushworthStoneWire – Life As We Know It (Self Released)
Life as StoneWire know it is all about frustrating setbacks, missed opportunities and momentum-killing bumps in the road. Or at least it was.
Fast forward to 2019 and this a record making up for lost time.
Incredibly, it’s five years since When The Crow Flies announced StoneWire as serious contenders for Blues Pills’ female-fronted blues rock crown.
And if Life As We Know It boasts an altogether tougher core than its critically acclaimed predecessor then Sky Hunter’s dizzying vocals remain consistently powerful.
Imagine Doro Pesch fronting Free. The voice behind StoneWire could quite comfortably drive a balls-to-the-wall metal band but the decision to trade in everything from heavy blues to Southern rock is both brave and prudent.
It makes no sense for Hunter to cap her vision or limit her reach.
The multi-talented singer songwriter should thrive at a time when rock’s creative boundaries are increasingly blurred – contrast A Step Too Far (replete with classic Kiss-styled riff) with the Thin Lizzy-inspired One For The Road and it’s clear that this is a record where anything goes.
Drummer Rob Glasner is responsible for a peach of a production job and those five fallow years have not been wasted: StoneWire’s sound has evolved immeasurably since 2014.
Life As We Know It is the sound of a band back in contention and back to its brilliant best.Â
They say good things come to those who wait. Sure, nobody ever expected to wait this long. But this isn’t just good – it’s a game changer.
