Natural Child - Be M'Guest (2023) [Hi-Res]

In the turbulent years 2011-2016, Nashville, Tennessee’s Natural Child released five amazing studio albums, all of which got a place in our record collections (and still regularly end up on the turntable). Then it became a bit quiet around the neo-psychedelic rock band, until in 2020 – out of the blue and without any publicity or explanation – a self-titled full-length was posted to the streaming services. And now they’re repeating that trick: here’s Be M’Guest, a collection of eleven new songs. It’s classic Natural Child, in which greasy Southern rock, infectious rock ‘n’ roll and slightly numb 70s-style boogie come together in a laid-back and groovy sound with distinctive vocals. There’s always that driving rhythm section as a solid but swinging base, on which the other instruments have plenty of room to shine. Once again Seth Murray (vocals, guitar), Wes Traylor (bass), Zack Martin (drums) and Benny Devine (keys) shake up irresistible melodies and memorable hooks (and some riffs reminiscent of J.J. Cale or Chuck Berry). Standout tracks include Little Magic, Margaritas In The Moonlight, Lost And Found and Swanee, but basically all tunes invite you to tap along and nod in approval.