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Sonny Jim are a three piece Rock band from Wales that to be honest with you, are impossible to pigeonhole, just when you think that you have got them sussed they go and change tactics as well as styles. No matter what they play, the common denominator is the edge to their material, even on “I Want A Tattoo” which is the albums most commercial and upbeat song, it still has a real snarl to it
“Vanity” kicks off the 11 track album and it begins with a slow burning,laid back groove before the vocals and guitars really kick in on the main chorus, the guitar solo mid song is sublime. The afore-mentioned “I Want A Tattoo” Is up next and it’s easy to see why Classic Rock Magazine were raving about it earlier in the year, a peach of a track, keeping it simple, nothing fancy but a real fun up tempo track. “Look Both Ways” is the current single and again is nice and simple, great vocals with a catchy as hell chorus perfect for daytime commercial radio, shades of the guitar chords from Bryan Adams “Run To You” on this one.
Then…the playbook goes out the window and “Poor White Trash” followed by “Go Fuck Yourself” come tearing out of the speakers and the kid gloves are off. The vocal tone gets more snarling and threatening, especially on “Go Fuck Yourself” but then again with a title like that it’s hardly going to be all peace and love is it?. Almost a punky feel and attitude to these two with the quality of song-writing not diminishing, “Honestly” is up next and continues in the punk like attitude, although less Green Day more The Damned for sure. Title track “Soul King Fire” is next and again Sonny Jim change tangent with a semi-acoustic uplifting anthem,”Come Undone” has you checking that there are indeed only 3 band members, very strong track with some powerful vocals and nice riffage. “Screaming Our Hearts Out” and “Connected” continue in a Classic Hard Rock vein before the album closes with “Things Are Gonna Change”, a soaring hopeful for the future track which has some Cornell-Esque vocals on it,not high pitch Cornell but when he gets that moody low key vibe going on. Great way to the end the album.
Something for everything on this album, great songs with both attitude and melody, definitely worth your time checking them out on iTunes, Spotify or You Tube where you can find several of the tracks from “Soul King Fire”
Review by Dave Stott
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