By Phil Cooper
Formed in 2015 as the culmination of jam sessions and open mic nights, trio Shotgun Sawyer are returning for a follow up to 2016’s debut album ‘Thunderchief’. With an eclectic mix of influences, the three-piece look to provide a heavy electrified take on the Delta blues. One of the aspects that the band are hoping will make this album stand out from the crowd is its raw energy. According to singer/guitarist Dylan Jarman, the nine tracks on offer were recorded live in the studio with no additional overdubs and onto analogue equipment.
With a Zeppelin like riff, ‘Ain’t Trying to Go Down Slow’ kicks off the album. When the bass and drums join in, the listener is hit with a hard rocking, blues drenched wall of sound. It’s a catchy foot stomping track and the vocals perfectly flesh out the texture cutting through the mid-range of the mix. The raw, live vibe washes over the music as there is a jam like quality to the music when the guitar solo breaks through. Leading straight into ‘(Let Me) Take You Home’ there is a more restrained edge to the blues overtones as opposed to the frantic opener. However, the music is still very engaging and the listener is once more pulled along by the catchy groove and driving rhythm.
With the inclusion of an acoustic guitar providing the key to the chopped groove, ‘Backwoods Bear’ takes a more traditional blues twist to the previous tracks. The rhythm section of David Lee (drums) and Brett Sanders (bass) hold the foundation, creating a swing time to propel the rhythm. This allows Jarman not only plenty of room for vocals, but also able to create an infectious guitar melody.
Returning back to electric guitar and a more straightforward foot stomping rhythm, ‘You Got To Run’ highlights the earthy feel that Shotgun Sawyer are trying to create with their recording the album live in the studio. As the instruments are backed off to allow the vocals to create the breakdown, a lot of natural reverb can be heard on the microphone and there is evident bleed between different microphones as each instrument picks up the sounds of another when they re-enter the mix.
The latter half of the album continues with the driving blues laced rock. As the rhythms are stamped out by the solid rhythm section, the vocals and guitar work cut through; hooking the listener in with their powerful intensity. Stand out moments within the album include tracks such as the Cream esque ‘Love You Right’ with a psychedelic laced pounding rhythm and wah drenched guitar solo. In addition, album closer ‘Shallow Grave’ brings the whole recording to a climatic crescendo with Lee beating the drums into submission, as the bass of Sanders nails the groove and overdriven guitar work of Jarman retains the blues integrity.
With the aforementioned mixing of instruments being picked up together, it would be easy for the sound of the band to become muddy and distorted. However, with ‘Bury the Hatchet’ this is not the case. There is clear definition between not only each instrument but also the structure of each song. The live environment has worked as a production tool, successfully creating a background feature that not only serves to thicken the texture but also give the band a raw edge to their sound. Tracks like the album opener, ‘Love You Right’, ‘When the Sun Breaks’ and ‘Shallow Grave’ are the best example on the album of this. The band almost at times break into a jam session when the guitar solos kick in and when the vocals drop out of the mix. The live recording concept gives the music a powerful freedom that enhances the blues-based nature of the song writing.
There is a rough honesty to the music on offer with this album. It’s a bold move to record live in a studio environment as there can be issues with recording quality as well as the necessity of perfecting the required parts each time. Happy to say Shotgun Sawyer have nailed it. There’s blues integrity stamped all over this record and with the musicianship, song writing as well as mixing skills employed here ‘Bury the Hatchet’ is a lot of fun to listen to.
- ‘Bury the Hatchet’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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