ALBUM REVIEW: Holy Moly! – Blues Pills

For those wanting to escape from the hellish year that is 2020, how about a trip back to the psychedelic swinging 60s? Formed in the Midwest of America via ways of Sweden, BLUES PILLS have navigated through the dive bars and crowded backrooms to the grand stages of Wacken and Rock Am Ring in a relatively short space of time. Their blend of bluesy, pysch rock has proven to be a hit over the years which caused them to grab the attention of Nuclear Blast Records.

Taking a break after their previous outing Lady In Gold, the band are back refreshed and reshaped with a slight reshuffle in their line-up. While there have been some changes their mantra has stayed the same throughout their catalogue. Their strong-willed desire to fill the listener’s mind with ideas of change is commendable and leads to some impressive fist-pumping moments of rebellion.

At the core of their 60s garage-rock sound is their impressive and influential vocalist Elin Larsson, whose voice is powerful and soaring, filled with grit and determination that commands the listener to take notice and really take in what she has to say. Straight from opening pride anthem Proud Woman, you get an idea of what the band and Holy Moly! is all about. It’s a surprisingly uplifting rock anthem for the band that is the perfect track to kick off the album with and would make even the most self-proclaimed manliest of men bellow the chorus at full volume without hesitation.

The bass rumbles at MOTÖRHEAD speed throughout Low Road with an infectious refrain that again screams stand up and fight with Elin’s proclamation of “I’ve got nothing left to lose, getting tired of being used”. Each track shows off her ability to cut through and dominate with her Joplin inspired performance. Proceedings are slowed with the road-trippin’ vibes of California that paints a picture of driving down the highways, wind in your hair and cares left far behind. The drum work here from Andre Kvarnstrom is sure to be underrated, again overshadowed by the vocals but do not underestimate the impact of solid rhythms and tight, concise fills.

BLUES PILLS‘ ability to get heads banging is now common knowledge and they continue this in style with the down and dirty Rhythm In The Blood which shows off the bass work from Kristoffer Schander very well, featuring it’s distinct 60s fuzz effects. Unfortunately, Dust kills the upward momentum slightly by heading back to the more sombre and brooding tracks and while it’s not a bad track by any means, it would have been a better option to carry the building energy into radio single highlight Kiss My Past Goodbye. BLUES PILLS strike the hottest when they are rocking with their unrelenting kick-arse attitude and you should look no further than this track to feel that emotion. It’s simple but effective with an ode to burning the bridges of your past and being the best ‘You’ you can be going forward.

A late album highlight includes another perfect getaway song in Song From a Mourning Dove which features some smooth guitar work from Zack Anderson which makes will make you feel at one with the road as you put the top down and enjoy the freedom. It features the longest segments without Elin singing which could have been a risk but Zack pulls it off with grace and a sultry tone.

While BLUES PILLS wear their influences on their sleeve and don’t necessarily have their own distinct sound, they make up for it by creating memorable empowering psychedelic blues, rock-infused anthems with their not so secret weapon in their vocalist Elin Larsson at the forefront leading the march for change. This makes Holy Moly! not just another solid effort in their already impressive back catalogue but an album full of songs that while sound straight out of the 60s, are just as relevant today in 2020.

Rating: 8/10

Holy Moly! is set for release on August 21st via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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