Independent (Release Date: 17.10.25)

Its been a year of change in the Brave Rival camp with the departure of Chloe Josephine, one of the twin lead singers that helped make their sound so distinctive. Given their incessant touring activity, there is a good chance you will have seen the remaining four band members plough forward and leave their blues roots behind for a more out-and-out rock sound, accelerating a process that in my view was already well under way.

Yet they have still found time to write songs in their preferred new style and even though the excellent ‘Fight or Flight’ album was only released last September with some bonus tracks dropping around Christmas time, they have been released in a new EP, the very literally titled ‘5 to 4’.

Opener ‘Let Me Rock And Roll’ also gives clues in the title and the opening riff from Ed’ The Shred’ Clarke is impressive while singer Lindsey Bonnick spits out in feisty style some splenetic lyrics about someone who has wronged her. There is a fine instrumental section where a bass run goes into a fiery guitar solo above that riff.

‘Poison’, already released as a single, boasts another catchy, and naggingly familiar, riff, along with ‘hey heys’ in the background during the bridge, while Lindsey’s voice soars, almost into symphonic metal mode at one time.

Sandwiched between a quartet of brisk modern sounding songs is something completely different in the near eight minute ‘Try Again’. The early stages of the song have an ethereal, folky feel, yet Ed’s slide playing is all over the song contributing to some almost gothic atmospherics. With no proof, I wouldn’t mind guessing that the band’s resident Zeppelin fan, bassist Billy Dedman was a key creative force here.

‘Control’ boasts some frantic and fast paced riffing, with some cathartic screams from Lindsey during another angry lyric about a failed relationship. However the Evanescence- style sound may have some of the blues purists among their original audience choking.

‘Wild Child’ is another melodic hard rocker with some staccato riffing and a fine guitar solo, while Donna Peters beats out the sort of drum rhythms that the Black Keys made popular a few years ago. It’s a good example of how the new songs have a fresh contemporary feel rather than retread retro production values.

For anyone discombobulated by the new style, they are good enough to offer more traditional versions of three of the songs. Acoustic versions of ‘Control’ and ‘Poison’ demonstrate how well they stand up as songs in their own right and show off Lindsey’s vocals at their finest. Finally ‘Wild Child’ is reinterpreted in a vintage Chicago-style blues, possibly as an insurance policy against any of the blues industry wanting their many baubles back?

While the shift in musical style may not be to the liking of the latter, they are sure to pick up new followers with this very effective launch of the next phase of their career. **** 1/4

Review by Andy Nathan

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Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

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