tue 07/05/2024

Album: The Bobby Lees - Bellevue | reviews, news & interviews

Album: The Bobby Lees - Bellevue

Album: The Bobby Lees - Bellevue

A very welcome rock’n’roll pick-me-up arrives straight out of Woodstock NY

Rock'n'roll medicine

Unless you’re one of the infamous 1%, you might be forgiven for recently spending a bit of time searching for a booster to reinvigorate your mojo before a seriously difficult winter kicks in. Well, assuming that your electricity supply hasn’t already been cut off by profiteering greed heads, the Bobby Lees’ new album might just do the trick.

There’s nothing like raucous and fiery rock’n’roll to replenish your soul and the Bobby Lees have enough of that for it to be prescribed by the NHS. In fact, kicking off with its raucous title track indicates just how Bellevue is going to go and it’s certainly a wild ride, full of adrenaline, snarkiness and a general keenness to get lost in the moment.

“Hollywood Junkyard” is a sneering takedown of celebrity where “they sell you one piece at a time”; “Dig Your Hips” is a gutsy, mosh pit-friendly tsunami of sound; while “Ma Likes a Drink” is a screaming rocket attack of fury. Bellevue is no single speed beast though, and the sinister fever dream of “Strange Days” and the slightly demented “Little Table” both take their foot off the accelerator somewhat – however temporarily. Nevertheless, it is likely to be tunes such as the howling “Greta Van Fake”, with its venomous refrain of “You think you’re rock’n’roll / But you’re a joke / You’re a wanna be”, and the raw and intense “Monkey Mind”, a tale of when the inner voices aren’t so positive, that will prick up the ears of newcomers to the Bobby Lees’ sound – never mind the giddy declaration of intent in the cover of the Waterboys’ “Be My Enemy”.

“I’m going to be a star – That’s what they said” wails Sam Quartin on “Hollywood Junkyard”. Unfortunately, she’s going to have to write songs that are far more mediocre than these if that’s her goal. These tunes are way too good to achieve something so soulless.

There’s nothing like raucous and fiery rock’n’roll to replenish your soul and the Bobby Lees have enough of that for it to be prescribed by the NHS

rating

Editor Rating: 
5
Average: 5 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters