Livewire 2015
Roll Up
All-around British guitarist gets in the groove – down ‘n’ dirty – on his second solo outing.
You can’t go wrong with Darrell Bath whose licks adorned records by such varied artists as UK SUBS, Ian Hunter and DOGS D’AMOUR; you can only wonder what style the veteran feels like choosing on his own. 2001’s "Love And Hurt" was delivered in darker atmosphere than these days demand, but its successor – baked with Bath still buzzing from THE VIBRATORS’ tour – is bent on entertainment with a bluesy rumble. Keeping this thing tight, in a trio with his CRYBABYS colleague Robbie Rushton on drums and Chris McDougall on bass, Darell delves into a good-time mode with a mighty riff of “Dancin’ With The Devil’s Goombah” and doesn’t let up until the last harmonica note on “Man/Monkey” coda has faded, unlike a smile on the listener’s face.
As slide-caressed licks underpin the artist’s sarcastic voice on the likes of “Slimline Jim,” it’s impossible not to get carried away, what with “Dirty Rocky Road” riding a countrified twang, whereas the acoustic strum behind “It’s In The Music” provides moments of reflection. These also rear their heads in the rockabilly ringing of “Muppets” – nicely textured and warm – while “Rat Palace” marries menacing jazz to a punky sneer. Yet if the unhurried jive in “Eye For An Eye” is a singalong-spiked jibe at a relationship gone wrong, its epic flow getting momentum towards a deliciously chaotic solo, “Clingin’ On” may describe a romantic stance, as well as a rocker’s credo.
That’s what Darrell Bath does: hanging in there for your delight. Roll up and join in the fun.
****4/5
