Review by Paul Broome



Snakewater were the first band I covered for Midlands Rocks, when they opened for Stan Webb's Chickenshack at the Robin 2 last September.  I was blown away by the Manchester-based three-piece live - especially by front man Bobby Grant's ballsy blues playing - so I've been looking forward to this debut album for a while now.

The album title, 'Dirty Rock 'n' Rolla', gives a good insight into the type of blues Snakewater deliver:  cranked up, thumped out and full of force (even their ballads are delivered with balls!).  I was worried that they may lose some of this force in the studio, but the fact that they (through necessity) recorded all ten tracks on the album in one day of studio time means that what they have captured is basically a live performance recording - which totally works in their favour.

There's plenty here to delight fans of modern blues guitar, especially those who like their blues with edge - Bobby Grant attacks his Les Paul like Page, but is also capable of caressing it like Bonamassa - and this collection of tracks really bodes well for both the band's future, and the future of British blues.  There are a bunch of tracks here ('Muddy Water', 'Rock & Roll Fantasy', 'In Too Deep' and the title track 'Dirty Rock'n'Rolla') which when I first heard them live I wasn't sure if they were covers or not, they sounded like such blues rock classics, but they're all Snakewater originals.

Some of the greatest moments come on the slower-tempo tracks, 'Woman (Don't Steal My Heart)' is superb - great 12-bar riff, classic blues lyrics, crying solos.  'N.J' is a long instrumental, that really shows what Grant is capable of doing with that guitar. 'Bad Part of Town' is even better, building and exploding and rebuilding, throughout it's 10 and a half minutes. 

But I think my highlight is probably 'Promised Land', it has one of those ballsy infectious rock riffs that you just can't help bouncing up and down to - with some excellent backing from the rhythm section of Ben Streets (drums) and Ian McCormack (Bass).

Snakewater are a real traditional British blues band, they have more in common with the gritty hard-working British blues invasion of the 1960s than they do with many of the super-slick, Toni & Guy hair-styled young blues bands making a mark today - and for their honesty and grit they should be hailed and rewarded.

The album is available now from the band's website, and will be available to buy on iTunes later in the month.

The band's next gig in the region will be at The Musician in Leicester on Sunday the 1st of August.

http://www.snakewater.co.uk/