Album review: GEOFF EVERETT – The Crow Hill Roadsters

Facebook [Release date 16.07.24]

These hallowed GRTR! pages have been crowing about English blues treasure, Geoff Everett, for years and he keeps coming up with the goods, as evidenced by this latest collection of blistering blues rock cuts on newly-released album, “The Crow Hill Roadsters”. Lovingly-named after a street near Geoff’s primary school where he would often go canoodling as a youngster, the album sees him draw on cohorts and partners in crime, Alan Glen and Al Clarke, on turbo-charged harp.

Ever a man who wears his influences on his sleeve like patches on denim, Geoff channels some of the greats but always with that impish twist that we’ve come to expect from this Strat-wielding savant. Clearly, a diligent and long-time student of the game, Everett is the guy you’d push to the front when aliens land and ask “what does a Strat actually do”.

On this, his 8th album, Everett has produced another album soaked in slide and rich in story-telling (“that woman I love been quiet as a mouse, just seen her sneak in my best friend’s house”), weaving tales on time-honoured blues subjects such as the relationship between a man, his truck and his woman, bitches that break hearts, doing the Mum if the daughter won’t and how far we’ll cycle to get laid.

Track-listings usually have some rhyme, reason or purpose to them but here’s a trend-bucker of an exercise – head straight to the last track of the record. “Rough and Ready” is a raucous rocker of a cut – sounds like Petty in the right channel and Mellencamp in the left one….with a big Geoff Everett smile in the middle.

“Ten O Five Express” showcases a Musselwhite harp mash-up…..on speed – a couple of sublime minutes to wake you up after the haunting keyboards and exemplary playing on “When The Damage Is Done”…..And right before “Swine Fever” charms with that gorgeous Geoff-jangly sound he gets on the Strat. Just sublime.

There is a fluency in Everett’s fret work which makes his solos literally roll along – like each individual string has its own whammy bar. Hard to describe but you know it when you hear it. Contender for track of the record is the moody and mesmerizing “Swine Fever Blues” – that soloing is “100%-proof, bone fide Everett”, right there.

“Bicycle Blues”, with the cowbell featuring heavily in the solo break (I sh*t you not) is like a re-imagination of that MTV song…….but by ZZ Top, a real ear-worm of a riff. Then “Hole In My Life” is in that classic heartbreak vein and just drips with soul – a beauty of a blues lament this one. “Mama Bought A Piggy”, as the title suggests, rollicks with a fun lyric whilst “I Can’t Take It” is a jaunty country-rock piece – perfect for a slow line-dance smooch if such a dance exists.

Album opener, “Rusty Old Pick-up Truck”, sails very close to the Who’s Substitute in structure but soon takes on its own personality and grows into a tight and clean Americana-style romp.

Geoff Everett gone done did it again and with great style. So, get yerselves down to the juke joints of Kent and the surrounding bayous to see Geoff and The Crow Hill Roadsters in their most natural, wild and feral state…..rocking the blues with panache. ****

Review by Mark “Mad Dog” Shaw

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THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

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