ROSCO LEVEE is a guitarist and singer songwriter from Kent and this is his debut release, featuring his band which includes Lee Wilson on keyboards, Simon Gardiner on bass and percussion, Andy Hayes on rhythm guitars and mandolin, and David Tettmar on drums and backing vocals.
There are twelve tracks on the album, all which inhabit the sort of rootsy electric blues of The Allman Brothers Band, or the sort of country roots rock that was the staple of The Band. However, on some tracks Rosco has gone beyond this using Mexican influences to pull together a stunning debut.
Opening with ‘Goldrush’, an electric country blues track with an anthemic chorus; one is immediately struck with how loud this actually is. Even with the volume control turned way down, the mix was way louder than most other records I own! There is some excellent guitar work on this track, which, along with Rosco’s easy smooth vocals make for a really great opening track with some great lyrical imagery: - “You don’t know what I found. I found mountains and rivers of gold/ Way down the line, coldest wind is lapping at my heels/ I found diamonds in the rough.”
‘Seven Seas My Name’ is another country blues track which makes use of the Hammond organ to underpin the riffs. The sort of track that chugs along nicely, matched with some clever lyrics: -
“This crow won’t leave me alone, and my ride is up and gone/ The signs say follow the road, but all roads lead to Rome/ No man may take me away from home.”
The heavy electric bar room blues ‘All May Change Tonight’, barrels along with some excellent keyboard work. I really liked this one, it’s lyrics seem to be about a drifter, and suit the music perfectly: - “Well the dark is lonely, and the light hurts my eyes/ My daddy taught me to shoot, when I was just a little boy...Water comes and water flows, I follow this stream wherever it goes.”
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‘Whatever You Need’ breaks with the trend, being a really upbeat piano and guitar track that really bounces along, a bit like some of The Gun Club’s earlier work. Harmonica and trumpet add to this making an entertaining love song. “Well the wind blows calling out your name, whisperin’ that I should remain/ Home is where your little heart lies; home is where I will reside.”
For me, the only problem was with the eighth track on the album, ‘Hey Lady’. Not that there was anything bad with this, exactly the opposite. This track is so good, that for me it made the album peak early, meaning that the few tracks that followed after just couldn’t compete. ‘Hey Lady’ is in a class of its own. This is the track that is described in the band’s publicity sheet as Mexican influenced. In fact it is a brilliant piece of work that combines spaghetti western score with mariachi horns and a distinctly surf based guitar which all leads to perfect listening pleasure. The lyrics build throughout this one, with soaring choruses: - “Wait little darlin’, wait by my side. And wait little darlin’. I’ll keep you satisfied/ And build your dreams up high. And reach for the skies, hold tight, hold tight.”
With tracks like this Rosco Levee shows that he and his band are more than a force to be reckoned with. Judging by the tracks here, the band would also be an excellent live draw. Get this CD, music doesn’t come much better.
Rosco Levee online
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