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Song

Birthday

Artist

Blues Pills

Blues Pills backstory

It’s difficult to believe that Blues Pills have been doing their groovy thing for a decade and more.

But it seems there’s still plenty of life left yet in Elin Larsson’s retro-fuelled heavy rockers.

The band’s dizzying self-titled debut was a solid Top 10 entry in our Best Albums Of 2014 and at around the same time we caught the Swedes opening up for Rival Sons.

“It’s an indisputable fact that Larsson has the most powerful female voice on the rock scene today,” Rushonrock reported.

“And those who hadn’t seen the Swedish band live or heard their excellent self-titled debut album, were genuinely astonished by her performance.

“Perhaps it’s a lazy comparison but it’s also an apt one. The elfin-like Larsson really does sound like a reincarnation of Janis Joplin.”

During the next 10 years Larsson has exceeded expectations and confounded the critics: 2016’s Lady In Gold was a glittering exercise in immersive blues rock and 2020’s Holy Moly! had the Rushonrock team in raptures.

If the latter suffered from a peak pandemic release date — Blues Pills were barely able to tour their third long player — then it deserves a rapid reappraisal.

In fact, we’d put our money on Holy Moly! being the perfect entry point to this summer’s hotly anticipated Birthday.

The title track’s already got the rock community talking. It’s a surefire sign of things to come.

In Elin Larsson’s own words

“I’d invited the whole band and crew out to celebrate my birthday and things turned sour when a waiter decided to ruin things.

“I don’t know what the fuck this guy was thinking or doing but he took liberties and crossed personal boundaries acting in a very disrespectful way.

“But the song has some humour to it.

“The first verse of the song is written from the perspective of the aggressor but this is not a song to feel like a victim to.

“It’s a shit-kicker of a tune with a ‘fuck you’ attitude to get wild to.”

The verdict on Birthday

This is bellowing, brooding, brilliant Blues Pills at their unfiltered, unfashionable best.

A fast-paced riff coupled with Larsson’s visceral tones make for a colossal comeback from the classic rock throwbacks.

And that relentless, booming bassline! André Kvarnström (bass) and Kristoffer Schander (drums) take a fucking bow.

Paired with the psychedelic hue of a mind-bending video clip, Blues Pills’ titillating new tune is a truly terrific return to form.

The blues rock world needs Blues Pills now, more than ever. 

Birthday celebrates the Scandi trailblazers in their prime.

What’s next for Blues Pills

Do we really have to wait until August to hear new album Birthday in all of its 11-track glory?

A Record Store Day 12 incher featuring the title track and Don’t You Love It drops on April 20.

There are no 2024 tour dates scheduled yet…but watch this space.

Main image credit: Dana Trippe