Eric Sardinas & Big Motor – Sticks & Stones

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American bluesman Eric Sardinas is well known for being a fiery live performance. Indeed anyone who has seen Sardinas live knows his shows are twice as good as his recorded output. Finally, after five albums, this record begins to redress that balance. It has its low points, mostly consisting of the very silly Full Tilt Mama, which sounds like Gene Simmons guesting on a Status Quo song, and slightly twee Goodness, but otherwise this is a fine collection of songs exhibiting at times soulful vocals, grooving riffs, and Sardinas’ trademark resonator solos. Often here it feels like Eric has spent a lot of time listening to Aerosmith. The veteran blues-influenced rockers would be proud of the rhythms and grooves Sardinas and backing band Big Motor conjure on the likes of County Line, Make Me Shine and instrumental Behind The 8, which all bear similarities to some of their ’70s material. The best solo is saved for closer Too Many Ghosts, but there’s plenty of the playing his fans know and love throughout the disc, and every song carries with it a solid chorus hook. Sardinas’ skill with groove and solos, and his rough-yet-soulful voice, has never been in question, but this is the first time he’s really been able to channel the vibrancy from the stage into his recorded music. It’s a bit short at just under 40 minutes, and it’s not perfect, but it is Eric’s best album to date and one of the most interesting blues releases of the year. Now finally on a label with wider ranging distribution channels, maybe he will finally add headlining UK dates to his numerous European tours, the next of which are in November 2011 and April 2012.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Blues, Quick.Play Reviews, Eric Sardinas