Bad Touch “Kiss the Sky” – Album Review

 

Bad Touch, the Norfolk-based 5-piece rockers, release their 4th Album “Kiss the Sky” on 19th June.  Comprising 13 tracks of Feel-good. “Let’s have a Party”, Southern Rock with a few surprises along the way, this album is being lauded in the music press as their best yet.  Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, South Wales, and co-produced by Nick Brine the album positively fizzes with energy and pizazz.  From the opening riffs of “Come a Little Closer” to the haunting vocals and heartbeat drums of “Something About Your Kiss” you retaken to a place where your toes will be tapping, your head will be nodding and you may even find your arms reaching for the air. 

Bad Touch – Photo Credit by Rupert Cobb

For an album with such great production values, it has a raw, honest feel to it that it is very easy to imagine yourself in the mosh pit, the band giving their all in front of you, as you bounce along with the crowd.  “Come a little Closer” is an out and out rocker, with a powerful riff, pounding drums, and an anthemic vocal that carries you along on a wave of excitement.  “I Get High” pays more than a nod to The Black Crowes in its structure but it is one hundred percent Bad Touch delivery with a catchy chorus and neat riff.  There’s more good-time rockin’ in “Let Go” with a tasty bassline and some keys for added interest and you can imagine the crowd singing the refrain back to the band live.  New Single “Strut” kicks off with a dirty fuzzy guitar before Stevie Westwood’s swaggering fast-paced vocal kicks in before another very sing-able refrain and a wicked solo.  Backing Vocals and a touch of Hammond adds colour to the track.  Track 5 is an absolute gem – The only cover on the album and a bold choice it is too – Kiki Dee’s “I’ve Got the Music In Me” is given the Bad Touch treatment and is audacious in its delivery. “Can You Save Me” slows the pace down a bit, a power ballad with swirling keys sitting behind a rolling riff over a solid drum beat and an absolute growler of a solo.  

Title Track “Kiss the Sky” sees the band back in the Rock groove, Westwood’s vocal stretching out over a dirty heavy rhythm with a scorching guitar solo.  “See you Again” is an unashamed ballad that still carries that touch of Bad Touch fizz to it, the strings adding a nice touch of colour to the song.  More rapid-fire vocals follow in “Before I Die”, with choppy guitars giving the song a somewhat menacing feel. “read All about it” is a more melodic rocker, classic southern rock riffs and rhythms that will get heads bobbing for sure.  “Too Much of a Good thing” has an almost country-rock feel to it with hints of Allman Brothers guitars in its opening bars, before shifting into a more classic rocker with gospel-style backing vocals and organ that ticks along at a very nice pace.  “Sun and the Moon” is possibly the closest the band come to political commentary in what is very much a feel-good album,  “Because we are running out of time now / and it’s plain to see we need to look upon our world now” the message is very much one of finding unity in this fractured world and is delivered with aplomb. 

Closing Track “Something about your Kiss” with its sparse opening guitar, drumbeat, vocals and grumbling bass, is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”, burning slow before kicking off into a riot of drums coruscating guitars and Westwood’s vocal soaring over the top of it all.

All in all, this is a truly excellent album and a contender for Album of the year; a well-rounded, party rocker that will please existing fans and has the potential to capture many new ones. 

The Band are: Stevie Westwood – Vocals, Rob Glendinning – Guitar, Daniel ‘Seeks’ Seekings – Guitar,

George Drewry – Drums, Michael Bailey – Bass.

And you can find out more about them here.

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Bad Touch’s new album “Kiss The Sky” is released by Marshall Records on Friday 19th June. Pre-order the album from www.badtouchkissthesky.com

 

 

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