Fine purveyors of rambunctious blues rock, Derby’s very own Eddie & The Wolves latest opus Tasty Sin is their most accomplished and vital piece of work yet. With husband and wife team Eddie and Char Saffell front and centre, the outfit have been busy making a name for themselves on the live circuit, and this has transferred nicely onto the album, its authentic feel bolstered by a sharp yet warm production that puts the listener at the heart of the action.
Eddie & The Wolves – Tasty Sin (Revolver Records)
Release Date: 13 September 2024
Words: Paul Monkhouse
A good production is nothing but window dressing sometimes, but it is good to report that the sparkling songwriting and great performances on the nine tracks found here stand very much on their merits, the sonic touches the icing on this particular cake.
Each song has its own groove and power, wild abandon tempered by huge hooks as the riffs of Saffell and Cain Paisley deal out some razor-sharp fretwork that eases the sting with a touch of thick honey. With the keys, rhythm section and compelling vocals of Eddie and Char all coming together in a brew headier than moonshine, this is a winner and opener The Devil’s Wrong, But Not To Blame, distils all their moves into one freight train punch Buy Amoxicillin.
Given the Southern influence, you would swear the band come from New Orleans, such is their witchcraft and ability to conjure up the think-as-molasses humidity. But with the sizzling Tasty Sin and the almost unhinged Voodoo, there is so much more than straight-ahead boogie bounce going on here.
Dark edges of the Gothic infuse Blood Runs Cold with an eerie light, the twin vocals working their charms until any resistance is futile, the strutting funk and big sound of Different Kinda Girl enough to break the will of the strongest.
It is not all bluster, though. The nicely understated power of One Heart cooly seduces before the twin vocals on Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us turn up the heat to combustible levels yet again. Showing another facet, Come Out With Me’s heavy dose of nostalgia is a truly heady brew, with the drums of Ben Gaines and bass of Joe Griffiths adding some suitable snack, crackle, and pop.
The album closes with the extraordinary Crawling, a truly show-stopping number that wraps it all up with precision and muscularity that shows that Eddie & The Wolves are a force to be reckoned with.
This pack is going to run and run.
