Like a bottle of fire breathing bourbon which as soon as you take a taste you are addictively hooked, the sound of UK rockers The Black Waterside instantly grabs the balls and passions to create a lustful understanding and hunger. Fusing the richest spices of blues, psychobilly, Americana, and vintage rock ‘n’ roll then fuelling it with a modern attitude and aggression, the Kent band has created a unique and ridiculously flavoursome proposition in sound and their self-titled debut EP. It is a masterful blaze of dirt encrusted and grouchy rock ‘n’ roll with irresistible drama and pure devilry to its every note and syllable, and simply irresistible.
Formed in the latter stages of 2011, The Black Waterside draws on inspirations from the likes of Tom Waits, Sun House, Kill It Kid, The Cramps, The Clash, The Black Keys, and Led Zeppelin to create a fascinating and explosively provocative sound as evidenced by their thoroughly impressive EP. Imagination and passions drips off of every skilful chord and rhythmic swipe emulated by the great grizzled tones of vocalist Adam Bray and the riveting canvases of the songs themselves. They are dark adventures which are as unpredictable as they are imposingly dramatic and incendiary to the imagination, and all irreversibly compelling.
A ‘vintage’ radio introduction to the band sets the opening shot of Four Minute Warning! in motion, before ragged riffs and beats instantly ignites senses and appetite with their rockabilly snarl. The gravelled tones of Bray soon 
countdown the full force of the song from within its initial addictive bait, the guitars of Holly Kinnear and Dan Lucas dancing feistily across ears as the throaty lure of Joe Whalen’s bass adds another delicious texture and enticement to the swiftly enslaving song. A blues swagger and breath cloaks the bouncy stride of the song, similarly spicing up the flames of enterprise and sultry designs of the guitars. It is an anthemic treat; feet governed and urged on by the thumping beats of drummer Jim Davies whilst body and passions are led into salacious endeavours by the swinging groove of the song.
The sensational start is matched by Whorehouse Down On The Southeast, another immediately fascinating and enthralling proposition. The track makes its own captivating start, though this time there is grouchiness to the vocals and rhythmic enticing which is no less inviting than the more embracing start of its predecessor. A hungry scything of electrified riffs ignite on the senses from virtually its first breath whilst rhythms tumble relentlessly to incite another wave of hunger in the passions. There is no escaping the trap for thoughts and emotions, especially with the entrance of the increasingly potent roars of Bray backed this time by the just as potent and gripping vocals of Kinnear. It is a powerful mix matched by the increasingly thrilling blues vapours and contagious twang which breeds its own temptation within the explosive track. Like Seasick Steve meets Tom Waits at the instigation of The Reverend Horton Heat, it is another striking and virulent contagion to devour greedily.
Brand New Cadillac has that psychobilly tang and swagger which never gets tiring, a confident rebellious stride entwined in guitar and bass grooves which flirt with every note of their wonderfully toxic tempting. There is much more to the song though, a surf wash of acidity and an imposing cloud of garage punk bringing dramatic textures and diversity to the stunning track. As hot and heavy as a vat of blazing liquor and passionately intensive, the track is pure infectiousness and wholly enthralling, especially in its closing twist where Bray shows the qualities of his clean delivery in a simmering bed of emotive seduction.
The release closes with Wrong Side Of The Track, a slow crawl of blues fire which croons as it wraps a sizzling sonic and lyrical narrative across the imagination. A real slow burner in comparison to the previous tracks, it evolves and increases its potency over its length and time, showing further creative depth and musical invention in the band which can only lead to excitement and demanding anticipation for their subsequent adventures.
A must for every fan of blues and psychobilly too quite simply rock ‘n’ roll, The Black Waterside is a lustful addiction just waiting to offer you its first inescapable lure.
The Black Waterside EP is available now @ http://www.theblackwaterside.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/theblackwaterside
9/10
RingMaster 02/09/2014
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