JOHNFISH SPARKLE - Flow (CD)

Nope, Italy is not the first country that would’ve come to mind when hearing Johnfish Sparkle. On the other hand I had a similar epiphany when hearing their countrymen Smoky Fingers for the first time. This band has vintage UK written all over them. Opening track Hard Times Goin’ On sounds like updated seventies Zeppelin riffing. Ballsy drumming, awesome riffing, great vocals and cool arrangement! Niiiice! The best thing about is… they keep it up! This is a cool riff-rock record that keeps tossing and turning on the chunky crooked road of rock ‘n roll, on-beat, off-beat. This band doesn’t take any shortcuts. In Downhill Blues there’s even some bluesy phychedelica infused. Spiral Confusion is a cool dynamic thing with Dave Perilli furiously working the bass over the cool guitar plucking in the verse, while the bridge brings it all over the acidy hard rock edge. I needn’t say the album has the word vintage written all over it, do I? It sure does and this band sure stand their own against fellows like The Answer, Rival Sons, Tracer and of course many of Transubstans Records’ other artists. This is a fine complement to an already impressive roster. Killer stuff indeed!
Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Country: Italy
Year: 2011