The Record Company: Give It Back To You (Concord Records)

A new trio vying for Blackberry Smoke’s throne.

The Record Company Give It Back To You album artwork.

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In 2010, guitarist/vocalist Chris Vos left his family home on a Wisconsin dairy farm to chase his musical dreams in sunny LA. Soon he found himself, alongside his new-found friends Alex Stiff (bass) and Marc Cazorla (drums and piano), mesmerised by Hooker ’N Heat’s 1971 collaborative album. That moment proved definitive: they formed a band and six years on the fruits of their labour lie in Give It Back To You, a record honouring the blues’ biggest trailblazers through their own charismatic identities. Off The Ground shines with a bright, infectious energy while This Crooked City bathes in sun-baked melodies. The autobiographical title track, meanwhile, tells of the adventure that, for Vos and co, you feel is only just beginning.

Phil Weller

You can usually find this Prog scribe writing about the heavier side of the genre, chatting to bands for features and news pieces or introducing you to exciting new bands that deserve your attention. Elsewhere, Phil can be found on stage with progressive metallers Prognosis or behind a camera teaching filmmaking skills to young people.