Hannah Wicklund is one of an increasingly prolific number of female artists who are helping to give the blues-rock genre a distinctly, and very welcome, feminine voice. And, at just 22 years of age, she is also an artist who can quite accurately and justifiably be described as a prodigious and prolific talent as, despite her relative youth, this is her third studio album – and it’s released on her own label to boot, indicating that she is also a young woman who is intent on maintaining as much control over her own destiny as it is possible to do in this hoary and incestuous music business.
Over the course of the ten tracks laid down here, Wicklund displays a confident ability to take the confines of the blues-rock genre and push them to their uttermost limits, from the heavy-ass crunch of opener, and lead single, ‘Bomb To The Breeze’ through the late-night smoky bar-room hipsway of ‘Ghost’ to the Joplin-inspired ‘Looking Glass’, the new wave lilt of ‘Mama Said’, the furious firestorm of ‘Crushin’, the eloquent power of ‘Strawberry Moon’ to the surprising acoustic-led Americana-style easedown of closer (and current single) ‘Shadowboxes And Porcelain Faces’. But, each twist and turn is subtle and homogenous, presenting us with an overall listening experience which is rewarding in its consistency.
The one key factor which characterizes this album is the fact that Wicklund displays a maturity and sensibility way beyond her relatively years, as she draws on a rich songwriting heritage and produces a collection of songs which are as relevant in their topicality as they are enjoyable in their pure musical purveyance. It is an energetic and exciting album, which in turn wrenches at your very emotional fibre while also making you want to enjoy it for the simple fact that it is a collection of great songs, masterfully written, performed and produced by a truly talented artist deserving of her place in the modern blues-rock canon. So, click on that “buy” link, and check Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin’ Stones when they hit the Über Kingdom of Rock ‘n’f’n’ Roll for a series of dates next month. I guarantee you will be richly rewarded on both counts.
- ‘Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin’ Stones’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
- Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin’ Stones will co-headline the Planet Rock Roadstars tour with Gorilla Riot and Piston in October:
www.facebook.com/hannahwicklundss
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.