ALBUM REVIEW: Bittersweet Satisfaction – Bad Touch

Blues rockers BAD TOUCH are back with their fifth studio album Bittersweet Satisfaction. The Norfolk band describe themselves as “feel-good rockers” who just love what they do and always have the best time when it comes to creating music that is heavily inspired by the likes of LED ZEPPELIN, AC/DC and THE BLACK CROWES. But if some of you have assumed that this will be something you’ve heard before then you would be mistaken as the ten tracks on Bittersweet Satisfaction also slot perfectly into the modern rock world.

From start to finish, there’s not a single moment where you’ll find yourself bored or losing interest. Opening track Slip Away is a good indicator of what’s to come as it begins with fast guitar before the full band kicks into a solid rock ‘n’ roll song. It is nostalgic, with some elements that make you think of GUNS ‘N’ ROSES, but it also feels modern and that anyone of any age could enjoy it. That same style carries into This Life with an intro that gets you pumped that then transcends into a fun and catchy rock track that could be seen as a mini homage to their influences, namely AC/DC.

There’s little to complain about when it comes to Bittersweet Satisfaction; you’ll come out the end of each song feeling positive and ready to face the day. The only criticisms to offer would be regarding the length of the blues rock track Nothing Wrong With That, alongside the quite slow Come Back Again, where maybe both tracks could’ve been trimmed, and See It To Believe It, which just feels a little stereotypical even if it is still fun.

But this is nothing compared to the good time that you’ll have throughout. Some highlights include, but aren’t limited to, recent single Spend My Days, an alt-rock song that draws comparison to STONE SOUR’s Song #3 where you’re left feeling uplifted; the title track that explores punk territory and, frankly, sounds so cool and confident; and Taste This where we hear BAD TOUCH experiment with some electronic rock ‘n’ roll in a song that, like many before it, has you pumped and ready to face whatever life throws at you, with a solid guitar solo to tie it all together nicely.

Overall, Bittersweet Satisfaction is a feel-good record that leaves you smiling, and there’s not much you could complain about. Anyone could sit down and enjoy this regardless of the generation they belong to, with some inspiration taken from earlier movements of rock, yet fitting in nicely with the modern scene.

Rating: 8/10

Bittersweet Satisfaction is out now via Marshall Records.

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