It’s nine years since Crow Black Chicken released an album. It’s ten since MV saw them in Bilston, where we proclaimed: “Crow Black Chicken, then. A rare gem. Everything a blues trio should be from a country that knows a little about magnificent music. Delta blues Clonmel style – you know what? It might just be the best kind.”
On the other hand, they described their music as “like going to the gates of hell with your pubes on fire.” So maybe it’s somewhere between the two.
This time around they’ve roped in producer Philip Magee – who’s worked with Irish luminaries like Aslan and The Script – and there’s a sense they’ve gone back to basics, as Magee produced their debut too.
Certainly, opener “Bottom Feeder” is the kind of greasy, filthy blues you remember from those early days. Groove, baby, groove. It’s got a Clutch-esque swagger, and Christy O’Hanlon finds a gravelly tone that fits like a glove.
But there’s a subtle shift in these songs – more light and shade, a willingness to jam and see where the road leads. There’s a funky tinge to “Fire and Blood” and even a psychy drift to “Hot Molasses”, as O’Hanlon sighs “lie me down to die” and lets the track float along for nearly seven minutes.
It doesn’t matter what they do, though, because the three-piece – with Stephen McGrath on bass and Gev Barrett behind the kit – are supremely good. Whether it’s the slow-burning “The Longest Time” or the hypnotic “Dark Matters”, everything here has that unmistakable CBC stamp of class.
They’ve kept the quality high and the running time lean – just eight songs, but not a dip among them.
Second single “Make It Right” is a fine example. They’ve always sounded like they were born in the Deep South rather than Ireland, and this track leans more into Americana than you might expect.
Then there’s “Terlingua”, which finds a jazzy groove before cutting loose with a solo Rory Gallagher himself might have admired.
And the closing “Heavy Rain” doesn’t so much storm as swirl – and if the blues here is less raw than you remember, well, nine years is a long time. Evolution is to be expected.
And evolution is the right word. Because if you liked Crow Black Chicken before, you’ll still like them now – but with a little extra secret sauce this time.
Rating: 8.5/10
