You can trust Louder
There’s no arguing with the talent and skill on display on San Franciscan blues belter Lee Gallagher’s debut. With their mix of psychedelic organ, earthy blues rock and huge gospel flourishes, his band have clearly been striving for perfection, and this album suggests they want to be taken very seriously indeed.
Unfortunately, it’s also a bit of a slog. In their strident search for authenticity, there is, ironically given the type of music they’re making, a lack of soul, the spark of humanity that could take them from good to great sadly missing.
One thing that doesn’t help is that Gallagher’s tremulous vocals have a touch of the Hucknalls about them, but whether it’s the gnashing emoting of Sugartown, the Faces stomp of Gloryland or the sleepy psych of Feel Like Going Home, there’s little here to truly love./o:p
Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.