Pete Feenstra chatted to Doris Brendel about her music and her influential artists/tracks. Including tracks from her new album with Lee Dunham ‘Big Blue Sky’. First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 23 February 2025.

Doris Bendell - Big Blue Sky

Sky Rocket Records [Release date : 21.05.25]

Best known for being a colourful and innovative presence on the prog rock scene, vocalist Doris Brendel and multi instrumentalist /producer Lee Dunham’s PR describes their new ‘Big Blue Sky’ album as; “a master class in blues with a contemporary twist.”

And despite a cover that screams “Blues” under their respective names, I’d venture this is more of a 90’s sounding rock album with plenty of bluster and shifting musical moods, spanning rock-blues, soulful balladry and always her unique vocal style.

Indeed you could interpret the album title conceptually with the big blue sky covering a wide spectrum of musical influences.

Brendel vocal style mixes a world weary husk with raspy intensity and occasionally dips into an intimate and sultry confessional mode, as on the soulful ‘Under The Covers’, which delivers some welcome feel.

She’s has the same edgy quality as say Detroit’s Eliza Neals, and shares a similar ability to alter her timbre according to the song.

She clearly knows the value of restraint and revels in tackling the lower registers confidently.

The opening ‘Long Long Time’ is the perfect conduit to an album that refuses to be restricted by one particular genre,

The song features Doris’s close-to-the-mic phrasing, over repeated bv’s, which gives the piece a gospel feel.

Her vocal delivery is full of yearning and pulls the listener into the song’s narrative.

She’s playful with dynamics and timing while occasionally extending a vowel, as on ‘Under The Covers’ and the groove that is ‘Hold On’.

She can sing behind the beat like a blues singer and sometimes holds back from unleashing her full range until the songs emotional touch stone demands it, as at the 4.50 minute mark on ‘I Should Have Known’.

‘Big Blue Sky’ has a powerful sonic quality which gives the album the energy to fully support her marvellous voice. And yet the overall flow is slightly hampered by a tendency to overplay, as evidenced by the constant up-in-the-mix rock drum sound, the busy guitar playing and the frequent use of double tracked vocals.

For example, the electro opening, tic-toc percussion and guitar squalls of ‘In The Dog House’, mean the production sheen dominates the track rather than frames it.

By contrast, the sweeping Gary Moore style blues ballad ‘Red Letter Blues’ is a more restrained arrangement with a welcome focus on double tracked vocals in the centre of the mix.

The upshot is a brightly produced album which occasionally sparkles, but sometimes doesn’t quite breathe enough to give the material an essential organic feel.

Given that Doris is known for her eclectic approach, the commercial sounding ‘Is This The Last Time’, is something of a surprise, being a radio friendly duet on which the deft strings support an excellent vocal duet.

The sheer heft and swing of ‘Satin Row’ – a bluesy stomp built on a thumping bass & drum intro, with slashed chiming chords & a close-to-the-mic vocal - suits both her vocal style and the band’s belligerence.

The climactic ‘Today’s The Day’ illustrates her ability to tap into the meaning of a song, in this case self empowerment, while the light humour of the self explanatory ‘Slow Wi-Fi Weekend’ and the up tempo groove of ‘What Has Happened To My Dog’, is underscored by an exclamatory vocal on the former and a catchy ‘ooh’ refrain on the latter, which helps nail the song’s bristling intensity,

And so to the title track, on which the music mirrors the cinematic lyrics.

A drone intro with keyboards and salient drums leads to a 70′s West Coast style duet on a big sounding track with an uplifting hook.

It has all the making of blues rock stomp, but subtly slips into two separate vocal lines with hand claps and bar room whoops and hollers, before returning to the original opening.

In many respects it’s the perfect finish to an album which delivers more with repeated plays.

The belated musical diversion acts as a reminder that the band refuses to be pigeonholed.

In short this ain’t a blues album as such, but rather a solid rock album with a blues heart, which beats relentlessly wherever the band’s muse may take them. ****

Review by Pete Feenstra

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 23 February 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast on 25 February 2025

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