This review is long overdue, and I can only apologise to the band who very kindly sent a copy of their new EP 'Rhymes and Blues', which is out now on Heavy Soul records, up to Edinburgh for me to review. You may not know this, but R&B stalwarts The Beatpack have been around for quite some time, since they were but slips of lads. Okay, the line-up has changed now and then, but in their current format they are a force to be reckoned with. This is their first release since the ferocious 2016 'Back Behind and Infront' EP on State Records, and about time too. ‘Howlin’ Fever Blues’ according to the press release ‘comes on like a late ’67 Texan garageband suffering from an extreme Yardbirds fixation and with fuzz pedals set to destroy’. I can’t disagree with that. But can I add to it? I’ll try my best. A souped up Blues Magoos ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ is the first comparison that springs to mind, and yet that doesn’t really cover it. The full-on drama of this track, with it’s use of caesura (pauses) builds anticipation and only gives one enough time to draw quick breath before it descends into fuzzed-out madness. Absolutely phenomenal. ‘Sadie’ isn’t at all what I was expecting. It’s pleasantly mellow, with Zombies-style electric piano. But don’t be fooled - flip it, and both ‘How Come You Sleep So Well?’ and ‘Tumbles Like A Domino’ are full of chunky familiar riffs. Whist it’s clear where the bands influences lie, The Beatpack are by no means copycats. They make their own brand of R&B Garage that is full of passion and energy, and then take it to the next level. If you haven’t seen them live, then I urge you to go and see them asap. And on that subject, you can catch The Beatpack are headlining at Beatwave this year, and they’ll also be heading up to Scotland for a few dates towards the end of the year.
- Ms Sheringham-Boom is the bassist in Edinburgh based Garage Rock band Thee Girl Fridays
You can hear a track from the 'Rhymes and Blues' EP in our latest episode of Retrosonic Podcast.
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