REBECCA DOWNES COMPLETES HER JOURNEY TO ULTIMATE ROCK CHICK (WITH THE BLUES STILL IN HER SOUL).

After all the acclaim for the simply awesome "More Sinner Than Saint" and the lockdown produced "Stripped Back" albums, Rebecca Downes and her boys headed back to the studio to produce an album that we have waited for a long, long time. For those of us who have long loved the artist, we were both excited and more than a little anxious: could the First Lady top the excellence of Sinner in particular, or would that album prove to be her finest hour?

How could we have possibly doubted it? The soulful voice of blues rock had already migrated to being the soulful voice of rocked up blues, but this album draws a line under that migration. There's no more need to move from blues rock to rocked up blues. Now it's about defining what Rebecca's "rocked up blues" is going to sound like. And boy, is it sounding great!

Built around the fabulous guitar work of the greatly under-rated Steve Birkett, which is much more amped up in the mix of this album, Rebecca struts around the songs like the off-spring of a banshee and an Angel: the depth and range of that voice is as incredible as ever and ready to sing for the love of singing. And what singing there is to be had!

The album starts with a short scratchy swamp blues pastiche that is both a nod to her musical roots but also a statement of intent: 'I'm gonna cut these ropes and leave these ties behind' she sings in old style swamp blues before diving headlong into the rock riff based Hold On, the first single from the album. The third song, 'This Is How It Feels' develops the guitar based song motif still further (need a modern blues rock guitar sound crossed over with U2 & Oasis style effects, don't worry, just ask Steve to do it!), and then into 'Terrorise' which continues that rock-britrock-blues fusion riffing, with Rebecca doing those pitch changes with (seeming) effortless ease and grace... and yet still grabbing you by the throat and demanding that you listen!

Then comes the title track. Anyone expecting 'More Sinner Than Saint' slow build subtleness is likely to be in for a surprise. There's that rock riff to the fore, the absolutely driving rhythm section delivered with aplomb by Messer's Neil Ablard (drums), Nigel Darvill (Keys) and Vince Yarrington (Bass), and soaring above it all, THAT voice: full of energy, passion and control, with an almost live cackle of fizz throughout.

In fact, that's the key to this album. The production has an almost live expansive sound to it. The energy of Rebecca's live performances has been captured on this album. Raw energy combined with studio craftmanship and pitch perfect performances. That in itself is a feat that has rarely been accomplished, and is testament to that Steve Birkett chap again (ably assisted by Steve Jr and Gavin Monaghan).

Steve also shares song-writing duties with Rebecca on 10 of the 11 tracks on the CD, and it's clear the two of them are two sides of the same artistic soul. Rebecca's often emotive and deeply driven by what she feels deep inside lyrics, are given the perfect soundtrack by Steve (that guitar is used as a twin to that voice), and everything musically and lyrically is as it should be.

The track not written by them is a cracking cover of Free's 'A Little Bit of Love', which has the most overtly blues rock melody of all the songs but one, and is sure to be a gig favourite. I can almost hear Rebecca shouting to the audience, "Tell ME, what do you want!" to which we'll all scream back "A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE!!!"

In conclusion, this is an album that will appeal to both blues rockers and hard rockers alike. There isn't a weak track on the album, nor a performance by a band member that is even slightly off par. The song that I want to give especial mention of though is 'Not On My Knees'. Here is a Rebecca no longer to be trifled with, a warrior they tried to break, but now on a mission to right the wrongs done to her (and career) and triumph, in a musical world not very disposed to female performers who actually have talent and skill and a voice of their own. Musically, think "Sailing on a Pool of Tears" meets "With Me" after both have been given a healthy dose of steroids and anger, matching the lyrics perfectly. Above all, it is THAT voice that carries it all. The pain, anger, and shameful recognition of how she was played in the past, slowing giving way to passion, determination and a conviction that she is not going to be played any more. It's all in that voice.

This track is a song that can appear on both the most overtly blues rock playlist and, crucially, any rock and metal playlist.

It might just have become my favourite Rebecca song.

If we gave a Star rating on our reviews, this album would be a 6 out of 5. Yes, it's THAT good. Better than good. It's Rebecca Downes. Nuff said.

The album will be released on 11th November 2022 through her own label Mad Hat Records, and will also be available on CD, Digital Download and all streaming platforms.

Website and Social Media Links

www.rebeccadownes.com

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaDownes/

https://www.twitter.com/RebeccaDownesUK

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccadownesuk

https://www.youtube.com/c/rebeccadownes

https://www.tiktok.com/@rebeccadownes0