ALBUM REVIEW: Finest Ramshackle Jam – Thirteen Stars

Southern rock ‘n’ roll quartet from Cumbria THIRTEEN STARS have been around since 2009. The band is made up of lead vocalist Hoss Thompson, guitar and backing vocalist, Jax Sedgwick, drummer, Andy Bates, and bassist, Steve Revier. Citing influences that include QUEEN and LED ZEPPELIN, the band have slowly been working their way up in the music industry. Will Finest Ramshackle Jam give the band the boost they need?

The fifteen song album starts off strong. With 80s style guitar riffs, I’m Ready has similarities to GUNS N’ ROSES. However, the country influences take over, especially in the vocal department. This therefore makes for an impressive opener to the album. With the short runtime of the next song, you’d be mistaken that this would be an underwhelming and rushed follow-up. This is not the case. I’ve Been Running is a mellow country-rock song and it manages to not feel rushed due to the smooth production.

Sweet Lies feels like a part two to I’ve Been Running due to the mellow guitar-work. It does, unfortunately, feel a little repetitive. However, Give It Good improves upon this. With its electric guitar and rough, but powerful, vocals, the song shows a new more rockier side to THIRTEEN STARS. The rock side continues on the album with songs like Sleeping and Sorcery. THIRTEEN STARS show off how they can easily change genres without it ruining the album’s pacing. This is, in turn, is due to the brilliant production. The instruments sound fine-tuned and the vocals are clear.

The song Steel Horse includes elements of folk music, including a fiddle and this does not sound out of place. The fiddle blends in nicely with the rest of the instruments, the pacing is middle-of-the-road for the song, but that is not a bad thing as the audience gets to appreciate the vibe the band are aiming for. Finest Ramshackle Jam seems to go through phases, starting off with country music, before going into rock, and ending with folk and country. For most bands, this could sound like a messy, underwhelming album. Thankfully, this is not the case for THIRTEEN STARS. The band have been in the music industry for eleven years, therefore, this means that they know how to use production wisely in order to make a cohesive album.

Finest Ramshackle Jam is strong. THIRTEEN STARS have created a fantastic body of work. The pacing of the album is excellent, it neither sounds rushed or unfinished. The instruments are sharp, the vocals are crisp and clear. This is an album that will turn newcomers into fans, and impress older fans.

Rating: 9/10

Finest Ramshackle Jam is out now via Rock People Records.

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