I’ve heard it all too often: people bemoaning the state of contemporary rock and R’n’B music. They throw out all kinds of cliched adages, whining “give me Led Zeppelin or the Stones over this rubbish any day…”.  My first response is usually to force a pair of headphones over their ears, and crank up this album.  If you only listen to one new record this year, make it this one!

Released in 2011, by Hollywood-based blues-rock band Vintage Trouble, this is one of the finest debut albums I’ve listened to from any band for some time. After 3 UK dates in early 2011, and a slot on Later… with Jools Holland, these guys had a pretty solid foundation upon which to begin their journey of world domination! They may not be there just yet, but having opened for acts such as Bon Jovi, The Who, Brian May and Dave Matthews, these guys have some pretty hot credentials for a band who only formed 3 years ago, and I can see big things in the future for Vintage Trouble.

The album kicks off with the raw and dirty Blues Hand Me Down, a punchy track which one can’t help but groove along to.  A heady bass-drum and a guttural wail launch the listener into the album in purest rock’n’roll fashion, and the rest of the track doesn’t disappoint.  With a blues riff so crunchy you could swear it was honey-covered breakfast cereal, and lyrics so undeniably blues that you wonder if they weren’t written on torn denim, this song is a must-hear!

The journey continues with the head-bopping, toe-tapping Still and Always Will and eases into the the super-sexy Nancy Lee, which I defy you not to grab a partner and groove to!  This song makes me want to move, right down to the core, and summons to mind the sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Rush and Wild Cherry.

Then, just to mix it up a bit, the album take a sudden slow and soulful break. Think Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, even Ray Lamontagne. Think Blue Moon. Gracefully is one of those beautiful love-songs that would make a great first dance at a wedding. The simplicity of delicately brushed cymbals, sultry vocals, rhythmic, steady drumming and the twang of guitars come together to produce a stunning record that can be listened to over-and-over and which will stand the test of time.

You Better Believe It pulls the tempo back upbeat – a blues harp punctuating the record with it’s moaning trills – before we’re sent cascading gently downhill again with soft harmonies and the absence of drumming in the first half of Not Alright By Me.  As the drums return, our journey continues at a steady pace, and we amble contentedly through Nobody Told Me, until Jezzebella gets us toe-tapping and grooving again. About 3/4 of the way through the record, the instruments cut out and there’s a fabulous vocal harmony which breaks the tedium, grabs the listener by the collar and shakes them awake again.  As the music starts back up, the album hits an upward slope again, rocking us hard into Total Strangers, which much like the opening couple of tracks fuses the sound of Led-Zep’s guitars with James Brown’s funky attitude and the heritage of 100 years of blues music, creating a unique sound that I promise you’ll want to move to!

Last, but by absolutely no means least, Run Outta You slaps us with a belter of an opening note, and once more takes us to Soulville, with a tender, stirring song of heartbreak.  Ty Taylor’s outstanding vocals shine through on the first half of the record, whilst Nalle Colt tears it up in style on the axe.  At over 8 minutes long, it’s maybe a little masturbatory, but nevertheless it’s a fantastic way to wrap up a superb album.

I appreciate that perhaps it’s not to everyone’s taste.  Critics of blues music will be quick to point out it’s flaws: it’s a blues album, and by definition the musical progression within each song is a little unexciting.  Some of the tracks are, admittedly a little similar to each other.  I’ll concede this fact, but for me as a blues fan it’s a total non-issue.  It’s just the nature of blues music, and as blues goes, each song (with the possible exception of Nobody Told Me) stands up on its own merit.  This album makes me want to move, makes me want to cry, makes me want to make love.  It touches deep, and then rocks out.  In my opinion, it’s an exemplary piece of musical craftsmanship, and one I’m sure to be listening to years from now.

So enjoy, folks, and please let me know what you think of the album by leaving a comment in the box below.