This is the highest entry on this year’s list to fall
broadly into the ‘classic-rock-influenced’ bracket, beating like likes of Wolfmother, Highly Suspect and Band Of Skulls by some distance.
On album 5 – which was my introduction to Rival Sons (although since getting it I have investigated
backwards) – they perfect their blues-led, big-riff template to create
something thrilling. First off, the
musicianship is out of this world, and Jay Buchanan’s vocals are more than a
match for the high standards set by his bandmates (reaching those octaves when
needed and belting out the choruses in fine style). The band’s exemplary rhythm section is just
as important as its reliance on flashier vocal and lead guitar elements (even if that’s
not immediately obvious): this is four people who are all at the top of their
game. Blues rock doesn’t get much better
than this. The closest reference point to
Rival Sons is probably The Black Keys, but Hollow Bones is better than anything that Auerbach and Carney have
put out since at least Brothers in
2010, if not Attack and Release in
2008. Admittedly, it’s a shame that the
epic 10+ minute title track – which was clearly written as one song – was split
into two, with the second ‘part’ coming 8 tracks after the first (a decision
that reeks of record exec meddling). An
example of how to annoyingly dilute a masterpiece. And the cover of Ike and Tina Turner’s ‘Black
Coffee’ feels a little crowbarred in here.
But these slight issues aside, this is fantastic stuff.
sample track: Tied Up