It's no secret that the shell of the music world is a notoriously tough nut to crack. It's not as though this is a recent turn of events, either; where audio artistry is concerned, things have always been that way. And it's even harder to get your name out, in the current day and age, down the dark old alley of rock 'n' roll - which today, ironically, manages to be non-existent to the commercial eye, but ever omnipresent to the devout follower. It's everywhere, and it's nowhere; invisible, yet secretly thriving, like an ant nest beneath your floorboards. And to carve your mark in it in the 21st century, it seems you've got to pull out all the weird and wonderful wizardry you can muster. You've got to find a different angle, a different attitude, or simply a new technique of mind-blowing craziness, with which to chip away at the iceberg of musical and financial success.
This is precisely why it's paradoxically refreshing to listen to the 6-track EP of Stoke-on-Trent's upcoming soulful sorcerers, Blue Origin. The work, entitled 'CASCADE' is, put simply, a much-needed and greatly-heralded return to the very beginning of all that sensationalistic, twiddly stuff of the world's great guitar Gods. A strong, bluesy tone, with a classic rock feel, the album offers a good dose of groovy hooks, solos infused with note-bends, vibratos and slides a-plenty, and Robert Plant-esque grit to vocalist Nick Pilgrim's striking range. It sets their sound quite apart from the thrashy, scream-y and noisy one of other surfacing young rock talents within the 'noughties' bracket. And another thing: you know how there's always at least one really dodgy song on every album? As it happens, this is a problem avoided altogether by Blue Origin, thanks to their making every track creatively diverse and different, yet musically cohesive, and thematically consistent.
The Midlands' own home-grown gents are reigniting the spark of old-school rock 'n' roll once more, mixed with a melodic, no-messing, Mississippi-delta-tinged twist. And yet, it doesn't sound dated. The verse-chorus structure of their heavier songs, like 'Freek', 'Earthbound' and 'Gone to Ground', fit their orthodox 'rock' vibe with contemporary armour. And with the picked-arpeggio subtlety of final track 'Applauded Sorrow', and an impressive vocal guest-performance by Elizabeth Whiston on penultimate offering 'Endless', Blue Origin's 'Cascade' also demonstrates crafted song-writing and textured ideas, topped with a fearlessness and talent to be reckoned with.
Blue Origin are doing something that the current world of heavy music desperately needs. It's simplistic in content, yet sophisticated in presentation, and it works. And, even though we recognise its formula straight away, it's potently significant in its return amidst an era with a commercial menu of indie and electronic flavours, and a quote-un-quote 'alternative' one consisting largely of nu-metal, and technicality that makes your head spin. But Hell, what hasn't been done before? They're just more interesting about it than your Average Joe.
Of course, there are the melodic-groove-maestros out there, who refuse to compromise even in the face of modern times, and are doing pretty well for themselves because of it: you've got your Alter Bridge-s, your Black Stone Cherry-s, and if you get heavier, your Black Label Society-s. But, whilst they're all clearly bluesy in personality, they're still using that streak to enhance another, stronger genre: hard rock, or heavy metal. Blue Origin bring to bear influences which reflect far more raw sources: the likes of Led Zeppelin, Free, and if we're talking current acts made of the same stuff, they're a lot like Irish rockers The Answer. They're a hybrid of the best elements of a range of timeless genres, without pretending to be anything else.
'Cascade' showcases their namesake, by providing a modern and successful re-shaping of the very origins of the blues and classic rock, with a nostalgic nod to times when such sonic richness was all the rage. And this is something that Blue Origin certainly aren't afraid to embrace or shout about. With an EP like this, and if they stay true to their blend of passion, poetry and pentatonics, they've got nothing to worry about. After all, as they themselves proudly say, 'we're all just 'Freeks' inside'...
8.5/10
Review by Rhiannon Maiden. Copyright © Rhiannon Marley. All rights reserved.
This is precisely why it's paradoxically refreshing to listen to the 6-track EP of Stoke-on-Trent's upcoming soulful sorcerers, Blue Origin. The work, entitled 'CASCADE' is, put simply, a much-needed and greatly-heralded return to the very beginning of all that sensationalistic, twiddly stuff of the world's great guitar Gods. A strong, bluesy tone, with a classic rock feel, the album offers a good dose of groovy hooks, solos infused with note-bends, vibratos and slides a-plenty, and Robert Plant-esque grit to vocalist Nick Pilgrim's striking range. It sets their sound quite apart from the thrashy, scream-y and noisy one of other surfacing young rock talents within the 'noughties' bracket. And another thing: you know how there's always at least one really dodgy song on every album? As it happens, this is a problem avoided altogether by Blue Origin, thanks to their making every track creatively diverse and different, yet musically cohesive, and thematically consistent.
The Midlands' own home-grown gents are reigniting the spark of old-school rock 'n' roll once more, mixed with a melodic, no-messing, Mississippi-delta-tinged twist. And yet, it doesn't sound dated. The verse-chorus structure of their heavier songs, like 'Freek', 'Earthbound' and 'Gone to Ground', fit their orthodox 'rock' vibe with contemporary armour. And with the picked-arpeggio subtlety of final track 'Applauded Sorrow', and an impressive vocal guest-performance by Elizabeth Whiston on penultimate offering 'Endless', Blue Origin's 'Cascade' also demonstrates crafted song-writing and textured ideas, topped with a fearlessness and talent to be reckoned with.
Blue Origin are doing something that the current world of heavy music desperately needs. It's simplistic in content, yet sophisticated in presentation, and it works. And, even though we recognise its formula straight away, it's potently significant in its return amidst an era with a commercial menu of indie and electronic flavours, and a quote-un-quote 'alternative' one consisting largely of nu-metal, and technicality that makes your head spin. But Hell, what hasn't been done before? They're just more interesting about it than your Average Joe.
Of course, there are the melodic-groove-maestros out there, who refuse to compromise even in the face of modern times, and are doing pretty well for themselves because of it: you've got your Alter Bridge-s, your Black Stone Cherry-s, and if you get heavier, your Black Label Society-s. But, whilst they're all clearly bluesy in personality, they're still using that streak to enhance another, stronger genre: hard rock, or heavy metal. Blue Origin bring to bear influences which reflect far more raw sources: the likes of Led Zeppelin, Free, and if we're talking current acts made of the same stuff, they're a lot like Irish rockers The Answer. They're a hybrid of the best elements of a range of timeless genres, without pretending to be anything else.
'Cascade' showcases their namesake, by providing a modern and successful re-shaping of the very origins of the blues and classic rock, with a nostalgic nod to times when such sonic richness was all the rage. And this is something that Blue Origin certainly aren't afraid to embrace or shout about. With an EP like this, and if they stay true to their blend of passion, poetry and pentatonics, they've got nothing to worry about. After all, as they themselves proudly say, 'we're all just 'Freeks' inside'...
8.5/10
Review by Rhiannon Maiden. Copyright © Rhiannon Marley. All rights reserved.
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