I first got to see Lachy Doley when he played with Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, on his tour of Australia back in 2017 and was totally mesmerised by this animated keyboard wizard, who literally flung himself head first into his craft. To be quite honest, I had never witnessed anything quite like it in my life, so when Lachy’s new album ‘Make or Break’ landed on my desk I couldn’t wait to hear what this guy had put together for us all to hear.
Following on from 2017’s previous release ‘Lovelight’, ‘Make or Break’ is the fifth album under The Lachy Doley Group banner, with Lachy once again joined by drumming powerhouse Jackie Barnes as well as Joel Burton on bass. I’m happy to report that the same pent up energy & passion I saw that night at The Concert Hall in Perth, has been captured on this album, with a superb collection of ten funk, soul, blues & rock filled tracks. From the breathtaking opening song of ‘A Woman’ you are immediately transfixed by Doley’s outstanding keyboard work, as his rare Hohner D6 Whammy Clavinet completely mimics the sounds of an electric guitar. In fact, I spent five minutes looking on the album cover to see who the guest guitarists were and it was only until I saw a vid clip recently that I was finally convinced it really was Lachy on his magical whammy clav).
Some of the bluesier tracks also suck you into to believing your hearing guitar work from some of the finest in the business, but these too are Lachy and this is what adds an extra dimension and appreciation to the album. Funky 70’s style songs like ‘The Strut’ ‘The Killer’ & ‘Cruel Cruel World’ have you moving & grooving along before you’re taken deeper into some wonderful blues with tracks like ‘Can’t Get Close to You’ with its ‘Little Help From my Friends’ riff & feel, ‘Into The Alone’ & ‘The Greatest Blues’. Doley’s vocals work perfectly with everything he’s created throughout the album, along with his underlying Hammond organ work throughout and is backed up with fantastic rhythm work from both Barnes & Burton.
The word genius is usually reserved for those pioneers who have, at times changed the course of history one way or another by leaving an imprint on the world but when someone can produce music of this incredibly high standard and also tinker & experiment for our listening pleasure then Lachy Doley deserves to receive that accolade. ‘Make or Break’ is a stroke of genius by a master craftsman at the top of his game. Wonderful!
The album was produced by Lachy and Kieran Collings, recorded by Ted Howard (Yothu Yindi, Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers), mixed by Paul McKercher (Josh Pyke, Papa Vs Pretty, Sarah Blasko, You Am I, Eskimo Joe), and was mastered by the Grammy Award-winning Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Ray LaMontagne, Royal Blood, Biffo Clyro).
Track Listing:
A Woman
Cruel Cruel World
The Greatest Blues
The Strut
Give It (But You Just Can’t Take It)
Into The Alone
Make or Break
Mix Tape
The Killer
Can’t Get Too Close
