Leo Lyons Hundred Seventy Split - Movin' On (2023) Hi-Res

A Brave Mix of Classic 70’s British Blues Rock Blended With Contemporary 21st Century Urban Blues. Under normal circumstances receiving an album from the Ten Years After bass player; last heard of when I was a schoolboy 50 years ago, would have been given short shrift at RMHQ, I mean ‘bass players’ …. really? But the personal letter from the publicist (who knows my tastes) intrigued me and after only two minutes of the opening track Walking in The Devils’ Shoes I was in for the long haul …. Mark Pucci was correct, I would like it.

There’s not a lot to know about the band’s background apart from this is their first ‘worldwide’ release and was originally penned in to be recorded just as Covid stopped the world and they didn’t get into the studio until late ’22 when the original songs took on a whole new meaning in many cases.

While a statutory three piece; featuring Leo Lyons – bass, Joe Gooch – guitar/vocals and Damon Sawyer -drums there’s a wonderful mix of Classic 70’s Blues Rock of the British variety blended with the Contemporary 21st Century Blues championed by the likes of Joe Bonamassa and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, which comes out with sublime liquid gold in the form of Easy To Slide, The Road Back Home and the punchy Time To Kill when guitarist Joe Gooch channels his inner Steve Marriott circa the Humble Pie Years.

Obviously there’s a presumption that all three members will go off on wild ‘solo’ tangents when these songs are played in concert; but until then the punchy Mad Bad and Dangerous, and the pugnacious The Road Back Home remain tightly packed and crisp songs that will make for a perfect soundtrack to both driving down the motorway and/or doing the ironing! There’s a delightful mix of ‘light and shade’ here that many of their contemporaries fail to achieve; with Beneath That Muddy Water, Black River and Easy on The Slide being very easy on the ear yet decidedly intricate lyrically and musically too.