EP REVIEW: Ole English – Ole English
From deep in their swampy humid home of Lafayette, Louisiana come OLE ENGLISH, a band looking to carve a niche in the well trodden ground of stoner rock. With this, their self titled debut, they’ve created a distinctive album with a lot of promise bubbling under the surface. Fuzz drenched riffs, bourbon soaked vocals and blistering guitar solos are the order of the day and there are hints in the more expansive tracks that suggest the band have true potential to expand beyond genre limitations.
Opener Paladin is an absolute stormer of a track. With thick, memorable riffs reminiscent of KYUSS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE at their grooviest and DOWN at their catchiest, it’s easy to see why this was chosen as the single. A track that demands a boogie as well as a head bang, this is a perfect introduction to the band and the album.
Old Man is slightly more subdued, the pace a little slower with the vocals, drenched in reverb, having an almost psychedelic feel. Indeed, in some parts vocalist Nicky Harvey almost recalls Down On The Upside era CHRIS CORNELL in the way his higher notes soar above the music. The guitar licks are glorious too – thick and treacly, laced with distortion and instantly commanding attention, they’re a call for fans to dust off their air guitars and join in. Heel, the shortest track here, is a balls to the wall rocker, in parts recalling MOTÖRHEAD in it’s driving, dirty rock n roll intensity. However, despite It’s fun approach it remains the weakest link here, a little too throwaway in nature and sadly quite forgettable..
On Visions Of Ghana, the band explore their free-flowing jamming abilities, as the track unfolds into a slow bluesy groove that could only have been born in the deep south. It’s impossible to not be drawn into the claustrophobic, sweaty atmosphere of the track as Harvey’s vocals once again reverberate all around, bolstered by dirty riffs and soaring guitar leads. Closer Holy Roller ends the album in style. Vocalist Harvey is back in psychedelic mode, recalling late 70’s metal as once again the listener is adorned with some wondrous solos. The track also takes a little detour half way through, slowing to a snail’s pace as a humming bass line is complemented with some Eastern flavoured guitar noodling. It’s this track, along with the aforementioned Visions of Ghana where the band truly excel, following a more progressive route in their sound and showcasing their musical talents.
On the evidence here OLE ENGLISH are certainly a band who can jam. Their playing sounds seamlessly interlocked throughout, indeed they sound like seasoned pros. However, it is unclear which musical direction they favour at present and it would serve them well on future releases to choose a clearer path and let their true potential shine.
Rating: 6/10
Ole English is set for release August 23rd via Warganized Records.
Like OLE ENGLISH on Facebook.