Ok, I will admit, the name Pebbleman didn’t
really hit me as an especially cool or serious one (it actually made me think of the
Flintstones). However, opening track Loaded shows this band is 100 % serious!
Fat and crunchy Strat riffs with a funky touch and a heavy blues vibe has
serious written all over it! Who delivers these riffs… well, I am serious, but
there is one Richard Pryor handling the guitar and songwriting. Nope, not the
comedian who did Stir Crazy and Silver Streak. Pebbleman is a quartet out of
South Africa. Heavy, bluesy, riff-oriented rock with touches of Robin Trower,
Mahogany Rush and Philip Sayce, the latter especially when it comes to Pryor’s outstanding
and explosive guitar playing, with that good old fat Strat neck pick-up sound.
His style is very slinky and fluid, yet loaded with feel and attitude. The band
also does a great rendition of Philip Sayce’s funky tune Love Is A Powerful Thing.
Singer Jesse Jordan may not be your regular rough edged blues singer, but a
more melodic style vocalist, still with a killer blues feel and his voice fits
the style perfectly. The rhythm section comprising bassist Rob Stemmett and
drummer Kevin Gibson, fill every crack and crevice with fat licks and groovy
hits. This was a new acquaintance for me and a very nice one indeed! By the way, apparently this is the fourth Pebbleman album! I've got some searching to do!
Janne Stark
Year: 2014
Country: South Africa
Label: Grooveyard Records
Link: www.pebbleman.co.za
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