BB & The Bullets – High Tide
The musicianship is formidable; the vocals punctuate resolutely even on the classic blues covers. But, this is primarily blues as entertainment & not poured over with an attempt to assemble a rootsy blend of authenticity squeezed out of the genre. These are tea bags dipped into hot blues water many times, & the flavor is there on some songs (“High Tide”), & diluted on others. Are they worth listening to? Absolutely. They have a gutsy approach, there’s some tang where it belongs, but it doesn’t add the bourbon kick to their gourmet blend of blues. This is their debut, so I think all they need is to play these songs live & let them marinate. The songs are not bad at all.
There are 12 ambitious waves to High Tide (Drops Sept 12/Dixie Frog Records/43:20) that’s produced well by vocalist Brian Baker (guitar). The quality that rears its head from time to time apparently has the same performative leavening that was the attraction of the early J. Geils Band & that can be found in great quantities on “I Can Tell,” & the Fabulous Thunderbirds-type blues of “Seven Ways To Sin.”
These are not contrived; these go down as easily as the blessed, greasy fried onion burgers from the most vintage red Naugahyde diners of the ‘50s. What BB & The Bullets (from New Zealand) succeed with is blending nostalgia into their blues instead of the standard blues themes of the elders. Rufus Thomas’ “Walkin’ the Dog” is filler to my ear. But, the Beatles’ cover “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” is gripping though not a real traditional blues. However, BB & The Bullets pull this Beatles classic cover off admirably. Could they have written something like this? Maybe not. Do they understand the sonics of the composition? They do. The song doesn’t sound dated.
I know many New Zealand & Australian artists (Bill Morris, Donna Dean & artists like MEO245, Dragon, Gary Shearston, & Daryl Braithwaite). Now I can add BB & The Bullets to the address book, especially after they put some mileage on these songs.
A bit middle-of-the-road with a little muscle is “Letting Go,” — superb Brad McMillan drums. Not just keeping the beat but tossing in rolls & fills that lift Brian Baker’s vocal. Good work. The second-best cover is B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” Here, the proper atmosphere is captured. Not quite as desperate as King’s original, but notable for Brian’s incisive tone & gripping the song’s despair.
The band’s potential is good. Some wrinkles, but those can be ironed out.
Highlights – “High Tide,” “Seven Ways To Sin,” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” “Letting Go,” “The Thrill Is Gone,” & “Brian’s Boogie (Hurry Home).”
Musicians – Stu Duncan (bass/vocals) & Eddie Rayner (organ).
Photography courtesy of Louise Knight & Colleen Irving. CD @ Apple + https://rocknhall.bandcamp.com/album/bb-the-bullets-high-tide & https://nixonstreetrecordings.nz/bb-and-the-bullets