From the ashes of the South Coast’s well respected southern style Rock outfit Western Sand rise a new hard Rock outfit entitled Black Water Redemption. Jimmy Bradshaw and Tyler Hains who have worked together in the band since they were 18, decided after the departure of bassist Finlay and drummer Nathan that they needed a fresh start under a new moniker. The duo wanted to disconnect with various situations from the past and give them both something new and positive to focus on. Tyler explains “If you were to think about it as an ex relationship you once had, it starts off amazing; you can’t think or want anything else, but then problems start to occur. You work really hard through them; because you feel you owe it to the relationship, but ultimately it comes to an end because things were not right”. The band played their last gig as Western Sand at NozFest in August, announcing the new name to a stunned audience.
This month the band announce the release of a brand new 5-track EP “Between The Angels Share And The Devils Cut” which was recorded with the help of Paul O’Neill at Silver Street Farm Studios. Tyler explains “we wanted to really home in our songwriting and creative capabilities, and get back to where it all started creating great hooks and plenty of Thin Lizzy-fuelled duo lead guitars -hopefully we’ve managed to capture this at the start of our very exciting project”. The EP was put together with the band’s recent addition, bassist Dan De Vries; with the majority of the drumming laid down with their former drummer Nathan J Kay and with the band’s new sticksman Zoot Hill-Vallier taking up the mantle on the final track.
The EP kick’s off with a funeral toll church bell menacingly chiming before the band’s signature guitars light up with the spaghetti western-inspired tune “Tombstones And Deadwood”. Jimmy and Tyler’s guitars work beautifully together and both tussle for the limelight; their chemistry together is second to none and the creativity is certainly pushing the envelope, just like some of their guitar heroes Scott Gorham, Gary Moore and Gary Rossington. The rhythm section have a significant part to play and powerfully deliver, backing the two guitar guys dutifully. Tyler’s vocal seems to have also gone through a positive transformation with his delivery sounding better than ever.
“The Ballad Of Jack Porter” once again showcases the band’s six-string expertise with some staggeringly good guitar riffs. The lyrics reference an Iron Maiden song which was originally based on a quote from William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar “The Evil That Men Do”. It features a pure lyrical coincidence quote in the form of the track’s Jack Porter from the US Soap Revenge, in this instance Jack is purely a fictional character.
The title track was first aired live about a year ago at a gig in Bournemouth at the Madding Crowd, from that first play I knew there was something particularly special about the track. It sounds fresh and like the band have made a conscious effort to notably change their stylings. The whole rudimental raw materials seem to have been thrown out of the window and the band here show a fresh new approach. The track written by Jimmy creates something really thrilling and is a number that will leave a lasting impression when heard on the EP or performed live.
This is also apparent on the penultimate track “Fly Like The Crow” with its laid-back acoustic start and Tyler’s new impressive vocal stylings. The track takes all manner of unpredictable twists and turns along its length with its gang vocal style and its pace changes, along with a rip-roaring guitar solo. You can tell the band has not only made the track for the EP, they have also focused on how it might sound when it is played live. It’s by no means a brand new track; the band have performed it before in their live set a few times, this reworking has given the track a whole new lease of life and a song fans will wholeheartedly take to their hearts.
The final track ‘The One’ starts with a smouldering country-infused acoustic/slide guitar piece before testing our ears by doing what they do best, lighting things up with a wall of beautiful melodic guitar sound. The rhythms cleverly dictate the fast pace of this infectious number, with some incredibly hard-hit drumming from Zoot and some thunderous basslines from dreadlocked Dan. “I am The One” is sung over and over, giving the band’s live audiences something else to latch onto.
It’s always a gamble changing the band’s name after so long, however, the rejuvenation this has given the players has created much positivity. The EP showcases some of the best work to come from the Hains/Bradshaw partnership. Clearly, their time gigging with the likes of Black Star Riders, Nazareth, Michael Schenker Group and The Dead Daisies amongst others has certainly paid dividends.
Black Water Redemption are
Lead vocals / Lead Guitar – Tyler Hains
Lead Guitar / Acoustic Guitars – Jimmy Bradshaw
Bass Guitar – Dan De Vries
Drums – Nathan J Kay (Tracks 1-4)
Drums – Zoot Hill-Valler (Track 5)
Track Listing
Tombstones and Deadwood
The Ballad of Jack Porter
The Angels Share And The Devil Cut
Fly Like The Crow
The One
Links
https://blackwaterredemption.uk
https://www.facebook.com/westernsand
Words by David Chinery (Chinners)
