Twenty Seven Winters on Beast Records

Dirty blues rock is still very much alive all over the world. The southwest or the deep south of 'merica doesn't have the raw, dirty blues locked up by a long shot. Twenty Seven Winters are from as far across the world as possible from those scenes, located in Melbourne, Australia they're playing as raw and sleazy blues as any of their contemporaries. It did take a label in France to press this up, but these are the global times we live in of seven inch vinyl, but that doesn't change the sorrowful sounds of Twenty Seven Winters.

Plodding methodical guitars and a harmonica on A-Side's "Cleopatra's Bed" place this in some kind of alt-country blues sound. Joshua on vocals is hitting on that beaten down delivery covered in the dusty landscape. Is there booze involved? Of course. There's a blue collar, toiling away quality to this, getting busy with the hard work for the rest of us like Mark Lanegan. Or going further back to a tortured Stones sound with the guitar holding back, waiting to seal the sadness at the end of a verse. It's the ebb and flow of blues starting out quieter but somewhere by the end of the verse everyone is on their knees, letting loose. Is the devil involved? Of course. Screaming solo's and harmonicas come together by the end of this, essential elements in a solitary misery.

B-Side's, "Fire in the South" comes in with eyes closed slow electric notes, bending them all over the instrument.It's hot as hell in the desert and times are hard, so they should be loud and the strings are going to be as dirty and hopeless as the rest of this scene. Joshua has this highly emotional style that goes from confrontational and pleading to acceptance in the same verse, trailing off or almost growling into the mic. They switch gears with the smooth hammond organ downshifting to an expansive place spreading out and ending with some dignity....before the vultures descend.

Pick it up from the band direct for $15AU worldwide delivered (on clear orange vinyl) or from Beast Records in France (on black vinyl) here.