A little like Green Lung and their relationship with London, These Wicked Rivers are so unashamedly a product of the Derbyshire valleys they came from that it colours everything they do.
The five-piece have been together for over a decade now, and their third album, “Fire And Folklore”, is arguably their most ambitious work to date. Their roots run through it, but there is plenty here that stretches beyond what you might expect.
“The Healing” has a swing, a swagger and a little soul. John Hartwell delivers it with real conviction, and the idea of no longer being part of the machine seems to fit a band increasingly comfortable doing things their own way. Whatever you take from it, that chorus doesn’t let go.
“Horse To Water” has something of the Allman Brothers about it, although Southern rock is too broad a term to explain everything they do. Let’s be honest, American bands fill arenas with this sort of thing. Adam Brewell and Dan Southall give it the foundation it needs, and you can tell this one has been made to play live.
There is so much confidence in “Ain’t No Smoke”, too. Listen to Arran Day’s solo and it is all there. He knows exactly what the song needs, and the whole band sound utterly assured.
“Love To Love”, though, is a departure, and proof of why reducing them to Southern rock clichés won’t do. There are Soundgarden riffs mixed with, frankly, something of the early Stone Roses, while Rich Wilson’s harmonica wails across it. That might look an odd combination written down. Here, it makes perfect sense.
“Sing Another Song” offers something more acoustic and perhaps a little world-weary. Its simplicity is its beauty, and once again, you feel that connection to the place they come from. There is a warmth to it that doesn’t need dressing up.
“Rise” follows with a hypnotic riff, and perhaps an uprising to get rid of the fascists wouldn’t be the worst idea right now. Heard that way, this feels like a statement as much as a song.
“Brother Oh Brother” is deep and dark until it explodes, while “Better Man” provides another example of their ability to write big songs, even if the tone is different from what has gone before. If anyone remembers 3 Colours Red, apart from my brother, who adored them back in the late 90s, then there is a similar sort of vibe here.
“Woodland Queen” is alive with the spirit of rock ’n’ roll, and you can already imagine what it will do in front of a crowd. “Stories”, however, ends things with a lovely ballad dealing with love and loss. Anyone who has lost their mother will understand the weight of that final line. It leaves a mark.
These Wicked Rivers are one of those bands where to see them is to love them, and they just keep getting better and better. “Fire And Folklore” is another example of how they manage to do things that feel familiar, yet somehow different from what anyone else is doing. There is plenty of ambition here, but through every change of mood, you know exactly whose record this is.
Rating: 8.5/10
