Goldray - Rising album review

The best Blues you can get this month

Cover art for Goldray - Rising album

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As guitarist for Britrock sloggers Reef, Kenwyn House seemed bound for a future of thinning crowds and heckles of “It’s your letters!” It was a bold change to the script when he quit the line-up in 2014 to pursue this psych-blues rock side-project with vocalist Leah Rasmussen – and now Goldray make their full debut with one of the most compelling releases of the early year.

Outloud sets the tone, Rasmussen hitting all the octaves with a swooped vocal that evokes a ballsier Kate Bush, while House flexes his muscles, unleashing massive looped riffs and revving up Eyes and Soul Child with wild solos that remind you of his underrated skills. #

The guitarist freely admits that hallucinogens fuelled the writing sessions, and no doubt that helped lift this material from generic heavy-blues to something altogether trippier and more interesting. Woozy organ, burbling phaser and tape effects swim through the mix, and on the brown-acid mind-expander Calling Your Name, Goldray announce themselves as a band with big ideas. Highly recommended.

Henry Yates

Henry Yates has been a freelance journalist since 2002 and written about music for titles including The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Classic Rock, Guitarist, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer. He is the author of Walter Trout's official biography, Rescued From Reality, a music pundit on Times Radio and BBC TV, and an interviewer who has spoken to Brian May, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood, Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland and many more.