Album review: AUSTIN GOLD – Ain’t No Saint

TMR Rock Records [Release date 18.10.24]

Austin Gold have made the Breakthrough Act category in successive years in our reviewer poll, most recently in 2022. That year’s album – ‘Those City Lights’ – saw the Cambridgeshire-based crew providing more distance from the blues rock that characterised their debut in 2017. Perhaps the closest comparator is King King in this respect and actually not dissimilar in musical approach.

‘Ain’t No Saint’ is a further development and the title track is a good example of where they are at in 2024. Starting with Gilmour-esque phrasing the song develops into a steadily brewing Foo Fighter-fest but still retaining its own identity. The USP is essentially frontman/guitarist David James Smith ably supported by Lee Churchill (Bass), Adam Leon (Keyboards/backing vocals) and James Pepper (Drums).

Early single ‘The Wire Defines’ could be construed as fairly routine classic rock but with a great chorus and transcending many of their contemporaries.

James Smith describes this as his most personal work to date reflecting a period of personal turmoil.

We commented in 2022 that the band have a pop sensibility and this is evident here throughout including ‘Hell Or High Water’ whilst James Smith does his best Chris Martin impression on ‘Not Enough’ and ‘Hang Fire’ could even be a more hard rocking Squeeze (or as we have noted before, the great Badfinger). This is more a reflection on the very good songwriting.

The keyboard work is fairly muted but certainly enhances ‘Down & Outs’ whilst one of two slowies ‘End Of Our Song’ demonstrates at least a variety of pace. (The other ‘Return’ would give Thunder a run for their money).

The band should have wide appeal because there are various elements in the mix which will chime with fans of bands like The Georgia Thunderbolts and Blackberry Smoke whilst satisfying those with a general penchant for essentially riff-driven classic rock.

Hopefully the band take the opportunity to rock out in the live situation and break out of essentially tight song-based structures. We need to hear more of that keyboard!

The band deserve a real breakthrough with this album . Ones to watch out for, again. ****

Review by David Randall

UK tour dates

Wed 04 Sep – Zerox, Newcastle
Thu 05 Sep – Garage Attic, Glasgow
Sun 08 Sep – Boileroom, Guildford
Wed 11 Sep – The Tree House, Frome
Thu 12 Sep – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
Fri 13 Sep – Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Sun 15 Sep – Waterfront Studio, Norwich
Wed 18 Sep – The Parish, Huddersfield
Thu 19 Sep – Rock City Beta, Nottingham
Sat 21 Sep – Underground, Plymouth
Sun 22 Sep – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Thu 26 Sep – The Black Heart, London
Fri 27 Sep – Factory 251, Manchester

Album review (Those City Lights, 2022)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

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 3 November 2024.

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 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)