Elles Bailey recently suggested on Planet Rock that Wood Burnt Red were “the UK’s answer to Brothers Osborne.” She has a point.
Reviewing recent single “Fire Me Up” on Maximum Volume Music, I wrote: “Wood Burnt Red simply understand that the best music has never been interested in staying inside carefully marked boundaries.”
Their debut album, Hold On Tight, proves it.
“Best Things” has more of a country feel than Southern rock, offering a tongue-in-cheek British take on the genre. “I’ve got a mortgage, I can’t afford this,” sings Tom Franklin, as a lovely touch of organ underlines the message: what you really need instead is rock ’n’ roll.
“Fire Me Up” is every bit as good as the single promised: full of swing, groove and a chorus built for festival fields.
“Count My Blessings” has a very American feel for a UK band, but it is extremely well done and chugs along pleasingly. There is real weight beneath the surface, too, as it considers the continuing struggles of addiction and recovery.
“Bartender” is light and airy, but essentially it is a drinking song—and a very good one.
The piano-based ballad “Drifting” is altogether more personal. “There’s something in the songs I sing,” offers Franklin, and the skill with which it builds is palpable.
“One Chance” will surely become the first dance song for plenty of couples. One of country music’s biggest stars would probably have billions of Spotify plays with something this heartfelt.
“Every Road” has a lovely, relaxed, front-porch feel, while the choruses on “Time’s A Healer” are superb. You might think it is happy until you listen more closely. It is probably best not to get on Franklin’s wrong side.
Many of these songs sound cathartic, but “Simple Place” is different: a beautiful acoustic paean to the past and the struggles of bringing up a family in 2026. It wants a kinder, more connected world without ever sounding preachy.
“To The Moon” looks on the bright side. A rocking slice of fun with a touch of Sun Records about it, you’d best believe it will sound magnificent live.
Then “Where You Are Now”, a ballad for those who simply don’t care in the way we do, closes the record with one more song straight from the heart.
Wood Burnt Red are a band doing this because they genuinely love the music, and that shines through every moment. This debut proves that you’re best advised to Hold On Tight, because Wood Burnt Red might just be a band to watch as they go.
Rating: 8.5/10
