Formed after the sad demise of Trilogy, whose sole album was
a scorcher, Bailjack is a whole different beast. And bloody great they
are as well. In a way they carry on from where their predecessor left off but
with two essential differences. One is the drumming has vastly improved with Andy
Myers banging the skins and secondly, the members seem to have a blast playing
together. This alone is a huge boost when making great music. Everything on
'Show Me Your Heart' is free flowing, unrestrained and groovy. Keeping focus on
heavy rock and psychedelic jams, this quartet spares no punches telling tales of
heartbreak, love, anger, frustration, disappointment and joy. You name it!
The solos, especially how Jason Barker and Blake Owens take
turns and bounce back and forth, as in 'Show Me Your Heart', are fantastic. But
that’s not all the things making the title track great. It weaves back and
forth between tempos and emotions with such ease. In doing so Bailjack creates
an amazing atmosphere of music from days gone by in a fresh, modern take. Aaah,
listen to the opening riffs of ‘Sweet Harmony’, man. They send chills down my
spine before the band hits a sweet jammy, yet heavy rock groove. Then
everything explodes into a lead-heavy stomper towards the end guided by an
amazing bass line and deep thunderous drums. Beautiful! ‘Chaos Wave’ is
laidback, mellow and jammy but with sharp riffs and harmony vocals at the same
time. Yet it is dark with a strong feel of Armageddon about it and I absolutely
love it. Slowing down even further ‘Frown’ has a wonderful Allman Brothers vibe
to it. But it is a somber feel throughout, a Southern darkness if you will, as
impending doom is prevalent.
Oh yeah, a doomy groove appears in ‘Struggle On’. Reflective
and moody a mesmerizing bass by Ron Fezzy McGinnis leads the way as the songs
gradually builds up which wonderfully enhances the narrator’s plight. Again,
the solos from Barker and Owens are on point and then some! Back to the
Southern feel and the mighty Allman Brothers, ‘What’s Done Is Done’ tells it
like it is. You can’t undo the past, no matter how you want to, right? Slow-ish
with so much feel and excellent musicianship, Bailjack completely blows my
mind! Closer ‘Rotten Already’ stomps and rolls and rattles like your demented
cousin from the country wasted on pure Tennessee
moonshine. The band goes full tilt and takes no prisoners. And yours truly? I’m
headbanging and booty shaking to the best of my ability.
The king is dead, long live the king. I rejoice when
something good springs out of a bad situation and Bailjack is a prime example
of this. As I stated earlier, the band formed out of the demise of another. But
personally, I believe the members of Bailjack are on to something much better.
Just listen to ‘Show Me Your Heart’ and you'll know what I mean.
From what I hear a new album is in the works which I am
looking forward to so much. Sadly though, drummer Andy Myers has amicably left
the lineup. His replacement is Faith In Jane’s Alex Llewellyn, so the band is
in good hands. So in conclusion, dear waveriders, check out this fantastic Maryland quartet and
marvel at their debut until the sophomore release hits the airwaves. You won’t
regret it!
-Swedebeast
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