This summer the British [Norfolk] rock band BAD TOUCH released their official music video for the single “Skyman” — taken from their third studio album “Shake A Leg” — to be released worldwide on Friday 5 October 2018.
We wrote about “Skyman” at the time, and we described the song as “gutsy, gritty, stomping, trampling and, manifestly, ear-assaulting…”
If you like shaggy rock, played at maximum volume, which incorporates a good portion of heavy blues, you will love the thirteen songs chosen by the band for this exciting new album…
“We wanted the album to embody songs that not only sounded fresh and exciting, but also communicated lyrics that meant something to us on a personal level that our fans could identify with,” says guitarist Rob Glendinning.
We had a listen:
Album opener “Lift Your Head Up” is about what audiences feel at the Bad Touch shows — it highlights the generous & grainy voice of frontman Stevie Westwood and has a rhythmic background and equally wonderful texture. The song emphasizes the band’s tireless approach to composition as they create yet another vigorous rock ‘n’ roll roister that will dazzle all the shebazzles.
“Hammer Falls” is about fair-weather friends and the song starts with a vibrating guitar before a muddier, darker-cushioned underlay is tacked-into position by the talented rhythm section. Then the number blossoms into an exuberant rollick and you feel at the mercy of the rhythm in next to no time. This is a hymn of vigor and defiance and is well-aimed at all the dick riders and hype-beasts out there who think they can diminish us… But guess what? Armed with this song we don’t give two bollocks about what those backstabbing jerks think…
“Tussle” has a heady heap of ramshackle drummery and is about the struggle to find true love. A nifty riff is laid down early-on and upon this substructure a swagtastic Britpop-sounding ditty is formed. But where this deviates from your usual Stereophonics/Verve/Blur fayre is when the band’s bewhiskered lead voice takes over… I really believe it’s made of coal-tar and snake venom. In fact, here, Stevie’s voice sounds like Robert Plant’s after it’s had a good sandpapering.
“Movin’ On Up” begins with an insistent riff and is about relinquishing a broken relationship. It’s classic British rock and reminiscent of the Mark II line-up of Deep Purple. Imagine: Hard-hit tin cymbals, ever-fattening guitars and smoke-filled oomph.
This album is an highly contagious aggregation of blues-rock singsongs and clever ballads filled with exhilarating performances and lots of down-to-earth, hard-graft songcraft.
Very highly recommended for fans of: Whitesnake, Bad Company, and Free .
The album will be supported by a nationwide 18-date UK headline tour starting at Newcastle University Union on Wednesday 17th October.
“Shake A Leg” was recorded in Norfolk at Orange Tree Studios. Engineered, produced and mixed by Andy Hodgson, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios. It will be released on CD, gold vinyl and digital download.
Words: @neilmach 2018 ©
Photo: Rob Blackham
Link: https://www.facebook.com/badtouchrocks/
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