Sometimes an album drops on your desk that catches you completely by surprise, makes you sit up straight & listen intently, before you realise you’ve been hooked by something pretty cool.
Schreiner’s debut album, ‘Kingdom From’ released on 20 April is a varied collection of nine-songs made up of some great rock & blues, taking you back to that wonderful 80’s era but with a very modern take. Vocalist & guitarist John Schreiner, along with bassist Jay Glaspy hit the spot with some real classic sounds reminiscent of artists like Bad Company, The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys & Kings of Leon.
From the thumping drum intro of the opening number & title track ‘Kingdom From’ we are introduced to John’s fabulous rock vocal talents & catchy guitar riffs. This continues in the following track ‘Pale Horse’ with its heavier undertones & great guitar work. ‘Miss Mariette’ is another catchy number with its harmony-laced chorus and 80’s radio based rock feel. One track that will certainly play well live is the slower (but no less rocky) ‘Rolling Stoned’ which has that fantastic crowd-bouncing feel to it, as does the radio friendly ‘Coyote Beautiful’.
A change of pace takes us to ‘Uh Oh Love’ before one of my favourites from this album, the fantastic ‘Sway’ which is just driving rock at its best – picture soft top down, open roads & the radio cranked up full and you have ‘Sway’. There is certainly a ‘Paul Rodgers’ feel to John’s vocals on the rockier tracks but he also shows he can deliver a decent blues ballad and does this in the shape of ‘Slow Sure’, which really works well in the make-up of this album, showing his versatility as a songwriter & guitar player. The album closes with ‘Hiiiiiiigh’ with its easy listening bluesy feel, which was written about the euphoric feelings John had after finding out he was to become a father a year or so after winning his seven year battle with drug addiction.
‘Kingdom From’ is an impressive debut and an enjoyable collection of songs. Although this is the debut album under the band name ‘Schreiner’, John has three earlier album releases to his name. ‘Kingdom From’ was recorded with veteran producer & engineer Ben Green, at his newly renovated gem, Ivakota Studio in Washington D.C.
Written and recorded between February and August of last year, the album was initiated within a four day writing retreat at a cabin in Berkley Springs, West Virginia that was attended by John and his guitar playing brother Zach, Jay Glaspy, and drummer Zach Miller. Half the material was co-written by Schreiner & his companions during the retreat, with the rest of the songs completed by Schreiner on his own.
Track Listing
Kingdom From
Pale Horse
Miss Marietta
Rolling Stoned
Coyote Beautiful
Uh Oh Love
Sway
Slow Sure
Hiiiiiiigh