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Wille and the Bandits: Grow

Melodic/Blues/Roots Rock

5.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Unsigned / Self-released
by Craig Hartranft
10.09.2013

Fresh and quite surprising might be two good words to describe England's Wille and the Bandits, a trio of talented blokes with more than a few tricks up their collective sleeves. The return with their third album Grow, and my first experience with them.

Wille & the Bandits: hair growing out of his hat.

There's much going on within this album; most of it revolving around Wille Edwards guitar play. He traverses from straight classic rock guitar to lap steel to slide guitar with curious ease. This does not make the Bandits bit players or simply supporting characters. Matthew Brooks is deftly dangerous on his 6-string bass, and Andrew Naumann is both drummer and percussionist with some real groove.

The music WatB is bit of a hybrid of styles, a concoction of heavy, blues, and roots rock, sometimes with spot of world music, in a melodic wrapper. Sometimes Wille and the band sound like they've been accidentally been transported from the American south. The soulful blues of Keep Moving On, Still Go Marching In, and Gypsy Woman could have been written and recorded in Memphis.

Sometimes a song, like Under The Groove, will feature Wille's voice and guitar in a sublime and emotional cohesion. Other times, as with Son Of The Gun, WatB can simply get heavy and rock out. Or still a page from Mark Knopfler: in a different context Why Do You Do It? could have been a Dire Straits song. Perhaps the song that gives you breadth and depth musical talent is the instrumental jam which is Angel (see below). To repeat myself, fresh and quite surprising definitely describes the music of Wille and the Bandits and their wonderful new album Grow. Quite recommended.

Wille and the Bandits - Angel (OFFICIAL)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Fresh and quite surprising describes the music of Wille and the Bandits and their wonderful new album Grow. Quite recommended.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]