ALBUM REVIEW: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – Shake The Roots

There’s a rootsy drive to opening track ‘Bare Bones’ that makes you think that the new album ‘Shake the Roots’ night just be that – a collection of Bluesy backward-looking nostalgia trips but the deeper you get in the more you realise that is only part of the sonic trip. After the last outing ‘Pressure’ on Snakefarm back in 2020 there has been a conscious effort to cast a glance back at those beginnings but it’s with a more experienced eye and ear.

As a result you hear an almost Bolanesque slant to ‘Ain’t None Watered Down’ and a harder Rock edge to the wonderful ‘Ghostrider’ – and early standout that is as accomplished as say Rival Sons. It’s altogether a more modern take – more ‘Rock’, more muscular and more guitar. But the real wonder here is the almost perfect tracklisting which has the Ben Harper meets Tom Petty groove and Kid Rock chorus of ‘Roots’ rubbing up against that guitar rocker.

‘Hard Learned’ fires up a light swampy blues, before the rumble of ‘Shackles’ which adds a real dark stomp that moves you to the bones. ‘Off the Rails’ mixes it up again, as this record does so well: it’s a nice fast rocker with some wailing guitar that evokes names like Junkyard and Little Caesar. It’s another stand out for me.

The slower, slightly brooding ‘Good Thing’ is another winner driven by a great refrain; and ‘Sell Yourself’ which sports the wonderful line “If you don’t sell yourself, you’re gonna get sold by somebody else.” is wonderfully funky.

The album closes out just as strongly with the charge to the line led by the down home romp of ‘Tennessee’ which is great fun, before ‘Sunday No Show’ ramps it up with some nice slide and plenty of light and shade. The final word though rests with the bluesy stomp of ‘Midnight Oil’ a good time rocker that ia ade to make you move. Five albums in this reset is looking like the smartest move of the year.

8/10