Review – Vintage Trouble: The Bomb Shelter Sessions

“Nancy Lee” by Vintage Trouble

Vintage Trouble: The Bomb Shelter Sessions
By Gerry Gomez, Staff Writer

“Lord have mercy on my soul!” sings Ty Taylor, lead singer of Vintage Trouble on their much buzzed about U.S. debut release. The line is from the frantic, sweat drenched, howling guitar laden opening track, “Blues Hand Me Down” on the Venice group’s The Bomb Shelter Sessions.

The band that cut their teeth at Santa Monica’s Harvell’s Blues Club before being whisked away into a world-wind year that’s found the band touring the UK, Europe and Australia barely touching down in their hometown for a recent record release party at the El Rey April 26 has blown up in a very short amount of time. The Bomb Shelter Sessions was recorded live in three days at the Bomb Shelter Studios in downtown Los Angeles and was just officially released stateside. The album will surely pick up fans across the country to match those across the globe.

Vintage Trouble, as the name would imply, play Rocking Soul and Dirty Blues soaked to the brim in sex appeal. Their live shows are intimate affairs. They’ve been embraced by local legions of fans, appeared on Later… with Jools Holland and played Hyde Park in London twice in eight days for two festivals. They’ve even been featured in national Supercuts commercials. They are a rising comet and their album lives up to the hype.

“Sex on legs” is what one fan calls them on their website.

“I am actually speechless how good you are,” gushes another.

For many, the band brings together all that’s great about American Roots Music. The 10 energetic tracks capture a band that’s well schooled in the R&B, Rock, Blues and Soul from Stax to Motown to Muscle Shoals to Chess and Atlantic Records.

Vocalist Taylor howls like Otis Redding, sweats like James Brown, and souls it up like Samuel Moore of Sam & Dave. He sings songs that are a bit about his family and a bit about his life. The opening track, “Blues Hand Me Down” sets the tone with a tale about inheriting the blues from his poppa.

“Poppa was a blues man, please baby understand, I’ve got the blues hand me down,” growls Taylor as if the blues were a genetic affliction sure to plague Taylor.

“I see you Nancy Lee. I hope that you see me,” says Taylor in the track “Nancy Lee” which Taylor says is a song with lyrics he imagines his dad would have thought when he first courted his mom. The track is set against a hot bolero.

Vintage Trouble is rounded out with Nalle Colt on guitar, Rick Barrio Dill on bass, and Richard Danielson on drums. There’s a tightness and a looseness about Vintage Trouble that reminds you of a traveling R&B show of the 60’s and a danger about the band that is magically captured on the Sessions. It sounds as if the band is gonna jump out of the speakers and wrestle one to the ground at times. Credit the production team of Peter McCabe, Rogers Masson and Gil Tamazyan for giving the band a well balanced live sound with crystal clarity and immediacy on this great sounding effort.

Each member has an opportunity to shine at respective moments in the mix and arrangements breathe well. Notable tracks that spotlight Colt’s guitar work are: Blues Hand Me Down, Not Alright By Me and Total Strangers.

The crew was intentionally exposed to the UK market in their push for recognition. It’s sure hoped that the band will return home to equal merit. This debut release is certainly worthy of it.

For more information on Vintage Trouble, visit: http://www.vintagetrouble.com

Vintage Trouble “Blues Hand Me Down” from The Bomb Shelter Sessions