After 15 years, the breakthrough surely awaits
Luck is a strange concept. The cliché says the harder you work the luckier you get and all that, but then you stop and think.
Take Heath Green for example. Stalwart of – and one of the best loved people in – the Birmingham, Alabama music scene. He has been part of various bands over the years without ever quite making it. Making it that is into the public conscience in the way that some obvious (and dare we suggest obviously less talented) peers do.
It’s like this. The other week, Black Sabbath played their last show. The support act for that show – and all the others on The End tour – was Rival Sons. Heath Green And The Makeshifters, its fair to say, occupy the same ballpark as Jay Buchanan’s boys. It’s also fair to say that this better than anything that anything Rival Sons have done in years and years.
“Heath Green And The Makeshifters” (the album and the band) might be the best melding of soul, blues and rock n roll strut that is currently out there. “Out In The City” gets its glad rags on and goes out for a party, “Secret Sisters” knows its way around the same type of bands that The Black Crowes do, and if you are going to sound like someone that “Exile On Main St” era Stones, The Faces and Humble Pie ain’t a bad place to start, is it?
Almost like a dash around rock n roll history, “…..Makeshifters” is happy to do garage rock on “Hold On Me” and “Ain’t It A Shame?” is soul filled brilliance. The diversity contained within these songs is largely down to Green himself, who possesses an astonishingly primal voice, which would no doubt be an incredible spectacle live. “Living On The Good Side” is another mighty example of this, as is the fire and brimstone display on “Ain’t Got God.”
What sets this apart, though, is the glee with which it is played. “Took Off My Head” is traditional blues the likes of which you just don’t hear regularly, and “I’m A Fool” shows the other side of what this incredibly talented band do – they are equally adept at both aspects, too.
There is a timeless quality here too. “Ain’t Ever Gonna Be My Baby” could have been released at any point in rock n roll’s journey. It just so happens its out in 2017 and the same can be said for “Sad Eyed Friend”.
A couple of lines in that song suggest: “it’s your life, ain’t nobody else’s/go open those doors and get it for yourself”. It might just be that this is Green reminding himself. Either way, with this record it might be the world that gets the wake up call.
Rating 9/10
