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Home / Entertainment

Album review: Barrence Whitfield, Dig Thy Savage Soul

NZ Herald
30 Oct, 2013 04:30 PM2 mins to read

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On the bruising evidence of this album - the energy of British pub-rock in a noisy collision with bluesy Chicago-soaked rock 'n' soul - you'd probably crawl across broken booze bottles to see them live.

This, the third album by this re-formed (but not reformed) band from Boston, finds classic rock and soul shouter Whitfield in roaring form in front of the band helmed by guitarist/producer Peter Greenberg, and a no-holds barred slash of twanging rockabilly, blasting sax and obscure stompers alongside originals in the style.

Imagine Chicago's punk-soul band Dirtbombs shoving Otis Redding soul, a rhythm and blues review and Dr Feelgood into a steroid milkshake and you're about halfway to getting the excitement they deliver.

No, it's not reinventing a genre or bringing anything especially new, but by the end of this reductively enjoyable 12 song/36-minute album, which was recorded in a day, you probably won't have remembered a single song.

But they will all have felt so familiar you'll leap to repeat-play. As Little Richard said, it ain't what you do it's the way how you do it. And these guys do it. Loud and fast.

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Stars: 4.5/5
Verdict: Exciting mash-up of rock, soul, punk energy and sweat
Click here to buy Dig Thy Savage Soul by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages.

Follow @nzherald_ent on Twitter for all the latest entertainment news.

- TimeOut / elsewhere.co.nz

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