Album review: PISTOLS & VULTURES – Seven

PISTOLS & VULTURES - Seven

It’s rare that a PR blurb says so little, and it takes some digging to discover that Pistols & Vultures are an Ipswich/Colchester based ‘alternative’ rock band formed in 2009 whilst Carnell Cook: (vocals), Alex Green (guitars, bass, percussion and backing) and Freddie Cant (drums and percussion) were studying Popular Music at The Colchester Institute.

It would have you believe they merge rock, soul and post-punk into a sound somewhere between Biffy Clyro and Californian rockers, Incubus. I think that does them a disservice. And while their combined influences stretch from Hendrix, through Zeppelin, to Queen and the Clash and beyond, it’s Cook’s Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross inspirations that add the ‘extra’ dimension.

In truth, it’s not unique – the lead tacks on this seven track EP/mini album – ‘Pride’ and ‘Ricochet’ bear many similarities – vocally, in particular, with Seal’s early (and best) output. And musically, with the cross-Atlantic mid-Eighties soft rock of the likes of Mr Mister.

Frankly, it remains a winning formula. As the set progresses, there’s some harder hitting material (think Dan Reed Network), but there’s a magic at play here that’s hard to deny.

Twenty/twenty-five years ago Pistols & Vultures would have ‘smashed’ their way into the charts. Now, things don’t work in quite the same way. It would be a shame if they didn’t find a wider audience. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)