These two singles by Joe Normal arrived together, so I'm reviewing them as a double pack and like all of Joe Normal's previous singles they are well worth getting and hearing, as the Guitarist and songwriter continues to put out great blue collar rock and roll singles from his current base in Montecito, all though he never really loses his Noo Joisey roots.
Setbacks is the latest single by Joe Normal, this time it's a bit slower but still just as catchy and well of course it's about the Setbacks we've all suffered in the last couple of years, with little or no money, pandemics and lockdowns etc, this single sounds like Mott The Hoople crossed with The Faces and with vocals that at times are Dylanesque as the rolling piano leads into some rather glittery guitar.
The B-side is Summer Jobs a wry look at how working a dead-end summer job makes you feel, as all you wanna do is go and have a drink and rock and roll and listen to what that guitar's doing, as he hustles his muscles in that dead end job, with this playing on his ear buds to try and make things more tolerable.
The second single opens as is Normal with Joe Normal's singles with Stand Up! practically jumping out of the speakers at you, it is every bit as catchy as his previous singles. It has the feel of great urgent heartlands rock as Joe implores you to Stand Up for the people that most need your help, the down-trodden the forgotten and the dispossessed as you'll be singing along with the chorus in no time while listening to a rather juicy 15 second guitar solo which like everything else on this single doesn't waste any time or outstay it's welcome.
The B-side or second track is a welcome reprise of earlier single This Is Your Life (And Your Destiny's Calling) this is a great tub-thumping anthem for you to go and live a great life, go and get involved and make things happen, this has a great stomping beat and sing along chorus and on this version there's some added whistling just to complete things.
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