Cowbell - Beat Stampede

by Dave Goodwin

published: 10 / 10 / 2012

Label: Damaged Goods
Format: CD

intro

Infectiously good debut album from London-based blues-influenced two-piece, Cowbell

I have to admit I was hooked on 'Beat Stampede' as soon as I heard the bluesy guitar intro to the first track 'Tallulah'. With its slide and twinkling Hammond hidden in the middle, this is a serious blues-ridden piece of head jiggery pokery. This is the first album from long time friends Jack Sandham on guitar and Wednesday Lyle on drums who draw their ideas from United States labels such as Stax, Motown and Sun and British 60's R&B bands. Right up my street I hear you shout. And you'd be right! This offering on Damaged Goods is infectiously good. It's like trying to put a fruit pastel in your mouth without chewing it. The second track on the album, the third single released from the album in Spring 2011, 'Hanging By a Thread' is in my opinion best of all and is a wicked up-beat slab of shuffledom. We've all been in this situation: "I know your mother thinks I'm up to no good/I haven't done all the the things I should for love." Following that is the harder hitting 'Never Satisfied' which in November 2010 was Single of the Week on Radio 2, and saw the duo supporting Cast on a thirteen date tour in the process. Then we move on to the introduction of Wednesday as the lead on the honky tonk 'Love Got Me Sown'has a real R&B feel with that blues driven guitar and also has a big piano sound in places. Midway into the album is for me rock and roll at its fuzzy best with 'Mississippi', which is so so good and recalls Jack Whit. The retro 60's mix of whichever band comes to mind on 'Scratch My Back' comes next, and if you like your R&B complete with a handclapping piano sax 'Bills' is for you. Again, this is another swipe at everyday strife: "She said it gonna pay the bills/One more red letter and I'm on my way." Wednesday shines through once again on the magnificently sublime 'Castle Walls' insisting that "You aint/No, you aint gonna take my heart" which is followed by their first ever single 'Oh Girl', released in July 2010 and consequently generating interest from Lauren Laverne and Chris Hawkins on BBC 6Music. It is all finished off in good style with 'All in Good Time', a head-shaking finger-snapper of an offering that caught me pumping an imaginary drum pedal. The message seems to be stop chasing whatever it is that you are wasting your time chasing. If you are good at what you do people will sit up and take notice. Let's hope the theme in 'All in Good Time' stays true to form. Cowbell are good what they do. People should sit up and listen if they aren't already. This gem of a first outing should catapult them to greater heights. 'Beat Stampede' is fuelled by two very talented and capable musicians. It's an album that, in all honesty, if a lot of the present day critics dug a little deeper might just become an album of the year. They have a stripped back sound that is full to the brim of blues backed R&B and good old rock and roll tunes that will infect your ears for months if not years to come.

Track Listing:-

1 Tallulah
2 Hanging By a Thread
3 Never Satisfied
4 Love Got Me Down
5 Mississippi
6 Scratch My Back
7 Bills
8 Castle Walls
9 Oh Girl
10 All in Good Time

Band Links:-

http://www.cowbelltheband.co.uk/Cowbell/News.html
https://www.facebook.com/cowbelltheband
https://twitter.com/cowbelltheband
https://www.instagram.com/cowbelltheband/

Label Links:-

http://www.damagedgoods.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DamagedGoodsRecords/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Damgoodrecords
https://twitter.com/DAMAGEDGOODSREC
https://plus.google.com/108116426226489991283