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Jeez, where to start? Nashville trio Simo appeared on the radar early last year with ‘Let Love Show The Way’, their debut album for Mascot Label Group. Blues rock with some massive, indulgent jams thrown in, it was a beast of an album, and easily one of the best of the year. ‘Rise & Shine’ is the follow up. Recorded after a lengthy period on the road, it surely must be more of the same, right? Wrong! The only comparison I can make is the way that Pearl Jam followed up ‘Ten’ with ‘Vs’. Simo don’t sound like Pearl Jam in the slightest, but their chameleon-like ability to change and re-invent themselves musically does bring to mind President-elect Vedder and Co. The first clue of the change in vibe comes instantly as opener ‘Return’ slowly pours out of the speakers, with a soft drumbeat, and a finger-clicking, hand-clapping, seductive groove. The guitar tone is immense, and at times, it feels like it is singing to you. The greatest thing about ‘Return’ is that you expect it to burst into life at any moment… but it doesn’t. Very, very smooth in its execution, it’s a break from the ‘norm’ of full throttle openers and segues perfectly into ‘Meditation’, which comes complete with a funky as hell Isaac Hayes/Shaft groove. The wah-wah effects are towering as guitarist/vocalist JD Simo leads the trio into what feels like a free form jam. The funk stays on ‘Shine’, which features some dandy grooves from bassist Elad Shapiro and drummer Adam Abrashoff. The shimmering guitar from Simo himself is perfect, and encourages the listener to move. Lyrically, it’s a deeply personal album, with ‘People Say’ and the epic ‘I Want Love’ showing real emotion and heartbreak. The latter is the standout track on ‘Rise & Shine’, a falsetto vocal from Simo recalls the great Al Green, mixed with some delicious guitar noodling. The way the noodling builds into a crescendo as the backing gradually gets heavier is spellbinding. Another highlight is the track that follows. ‘The Climb’ is a three minute jam that Tarantino needs to hear for his next soundtrack. Instrumental, with the exception of what sounds like political soundbites, ‘The Climb’ is the perfect example of the trio working in unison. Live, I can see this one spreading out and taking legs, with no two performances the same. As ‘The Climb’ fades out, the fearsome playing from JD Simo comes in on ‘Light The Candle’. Hendrix-like is a phrase often overused, but here it makes perfect sense. One of the heavier tracks on the album, it proves that a guitarist can melt your face off without going 100mph. The flip side to this is the starkness of ‘The Light’, which features what sounds like a performance from JD that was recorded right there right then. Just JD with an acoustic guitar, almost spoken word vocals that, at times, sound like a man going to meet his maker. ‘The Light’ bleeds nicely into the closing track ‘I Pray’… all 13 minutes of it! 13 minutes of jamming, book-ended with the sound of JD Simo reading out lists of what/who he is praying for, ending on the hopeful note of him wishing everyone love and peace. It’s easy to be cynical in this day and age, so it’s good to hear a little optimism. It’s impossible to plant a genre flag into Simo, so why bother? ‘Rise & Shine’ is a bold album. It might take you a few spins before it consumes you, but eventually it will. Available now on Mascot Label Group. More information here. Review: Dave Stott ]]>
