Monday 18 September 2023

Hush Money - US Rockers with Southern Style

Can you describe 'Southern Rock' ?  it is immensely difficult to nail it to a post because of
the differing styles of rock bands from the Southern states of the USA.  A band from the southern end of the Appalachian  mountains (Georgia, South Carolina etc)  Hush Money can lay claim to the geographical title of a Southern Rock band but that is not really telling you how they sound their songs on the new album Industry Standard  punch the buttons in the same way Skynyrd and ZZ Top do - with outright killer riffs, inspired lyrics  you can hear the influences of both those great bands but there is more. Some  will make you think of the era of the British Invasion with bluesy passages others have a distinct nod towards the later Beatles Sgt Pepper era.  


       When you start listening to the album some songs start quiet bluesy slow like ripples in a lake expanding in to  big waves of sound  filling and washing over ,  you  find the next song  lands like a float plane you hear the intro coming and then POW its all motion and action.  The changes in style through the album  are partly achieved by changing vocalists each bringing his own flavour into the songs. This makes it a little difficult to sum up the overall impression of the album,  I've not really had this issue since Slash released his amazing solo album which drew on the talents of his many friends to bolster the experience into something unexpected and great.  Hush Money have achieved an album that keeps you guessing they bring headbanger's tunes  like 'Devil on my Tongue' which surely must  get my denim brothers rocking,  then to the slightly slower 'Tied Down'  which is a pure stomping rocker. Then 'Still Around' is more core Southern Rock with a touch of  steeliness inserted    You have eleven songs to  enjoy on the record no duds and all very individual. Is there a stand out song in the bunch?  It depends on my mood  I have run through the eleven repeatedly attempting to pull out the plum and I probably have it down to 'Where It All Went Wrong' but that might just be the truck driver in me surfacing
.

Hush Money will be visiting the UK in 2024 and we are awaiting updates on the tour  latest news is they are confirmed for 
Call of The Wild  Festival, Lincoln  May 24-26th
A load of the bands earlier songs are available on YouTube including the album and  the kickass 
 Bourbon Street Queen
Industry Standard  



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