Henry and the Bleeders - Switchblade Rockabilly
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton
This is the bands that bucks the music trend and the local scene is all the better and stronger for it. Now they release their first recording and what a sumptuous delight it is! Four slabs of Henry and the Bleeders and a perfect encapsulation of what the band have been working towards in their 18 month career. Managing to capture their raucous live shows could have been very difficult but Henry's jerky vocals are crisply delivered, especially in 'Hillbilly in a Psycho Band' which is raw but yet beautifully emotive of an age when rock'n'roll was young and beginning to find it's feet. The late Eddie Cochran's classic 'Twenty Flight Rock' features a perfect guitar intro and I'm sure the mater would have been impressed with these young bucks efforts. I know the boys are big fans of The Stray Cats and 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' has a massive Setzer influence.
As with all the recordings, the sound of Quincy's stand-up double bass gives it a mean yet melancholic warmth. 'My Old Lady' stretches the vocal larynx and incorporating Miles driving backbeat, the song is both amusing and sad. The recent inclusion of Julian on Alto Sax is for me a turning point for the band as it gives their sound a lot more depth. All credit to Justin Saban at Latent Lemon studios for his smooth production of Henry and the Bleeders unique sound.