Last week’s Tracks Of The Week winners were Alter Bridge, followed by Feeder in second place with Blackberry Smoke a close third. But who deserves to win this time? Remember every vote counts, so cast yours at the foot of this page. Enjoy, and have a fabulous weekend y’all.
Jack White – Love Is the Truth/You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket Medley
Captured live on the Jimmy Fallon show, these tracks also appear on Jack White’s new release Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016. The king of contemporary blues rock has spread his wings in multiple directions lately, but this is a gorgeous reminder of how powerful the raw simplicity at the heart of his work is.
Dream Theater feat. Lzzy Hale – Our New World
Yes John Petrucci’s guitar solo has been edited down in this version of Our New World (to the understandable displeasure of The Internet), but that doesn’t stop it being a belting slice of heavy, melodious rock – dextrous, but pleasingly simple by DT’s often head-frazzling standards, complemented by Halestorm vocalist Lzzy.
Raveneye – Madeline
Don’t let the cute little girly name (or the dressed-up kids in the video) fool you – Madeline is heavy shit. Main man Oli Brown made his name as a prodigious blues guitarist, but everything about this chugging new cut from Raveneye debut Nova (out next week, FYI) points to a broader, bigger audience. Think modern blues rock with healthy shots of Royal Blood and Muse. Nice.
Aaron Keylock – Against The Grain
The British gunslinger’s long-awaited debut album comes out in January, but for now we’ve got this first taste whet your appetite. Propulsive, perky and deliciously slide-laden, it cheerfully embraces Keylock’s range of Southern, bluesy and classic rock influences. Tasty stuff.
Ghost – Square Hammer
Hurray! Dave Grohl/James Hetfield-approved rockers Ghost have a new song! The elusive masked Swedes – with today’s only frontman cool enough to pull off a bishop’s mitre – are back bearing a catchy, progressive new blend of pop and doomy rock, fresh from new EP Popestar. Let us pray…
The Answer – Solas
Northern Ireland’s classic rockers continue their modernised rise with the bold, brooding Solas. Bigger, fresher and all the better for it, it proves that their decision to mix things up was entirely worth it.
Diamond Head – All The Reasons You Live
They’ve got a cracking new singer (30-something Dane Rasmus Bom Andersen) and their first album in nearly a decade. Most recently, NWOBHM forerunners Diamond Head made a video at a military base and now they feel epiiiiiic… Or at least we imagine they do, given the sharp, expansive, current-sounding crunch of All The Reasons You Live. Well done them.
Ricky Warwick – Psycho
If you’re expecting Hitchcock-style screeches, you’ll be disappointed. If smokey acoustic storytelling does it for you, however, this should be more up your street. Originally written by Texan artiste Leon Payne, the Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders singer first saw it performed by singer/songwriter Rev Hammer and fell in love with its beautiful yet haunting tones. Now part of Warwick’s solo catalogue, Psycho is here to delight and unsettle.
