2017 – Southbound Snake Charmers
By Phillip Smith; April 8, 2017
There was instant lovability for Southbound Snake Charmers the moment I first popped their latest disc, Rhythm ‘N’ Rust into the player. The album is chock-full of swampy southern blues-rock driven by wonderful thunder filled rhythm. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, this magnificent trio is composed of vocalist/guitarist Chris Denman, bassist Nat Sutphin, and drummer Brooke Maloney.
Maloney’s pulsing drumming lures me right into the wonderfully greasy blues of “Don’t Speak Too Soon”. Filled with amazing guitar licks, fearless vocals, and intoxicating bass, there’s a Sixties’ Cream vibe running through this amazing psychedelic jewel. This one relentlessly surges through my soul. Highlighted by its caffeinated crashing beats and invigorating rhythm, attitude runs rampant through the hoodoo- infused “Snake Oil”. Denman seemingly takes a cue from RL Burnside on another favorite, “Hearts of Corruption”, singing the blues while dishing out whopping doses of deliciously swampy slide guitar. There’s a beautiful and unsettling intensity which slowly rises to the top in “The Longest Night”, a thrilling ballad spattered with amazing guitar and sung with the freewheeling charisma of Jim Morrison.
The brilliantly ferocious hard-rocking blues of Rhythm ‘N’ Rust satisfies my craving for exemplary music in spades. On a ten point scale, this record scores an eleven.
