It’s hard not to be cynical when it feels as if every second promo that crosses your desk fits loosely within the ‘classic rock’ genre. A somewhat paradoxical concept, when one considers rock has traditionally been seen as the music of rebellion, it seems there are more than a few bands that have hitched themselves to this particular bandwagon without any understanding of the underpinning passion that is essential to the rock band. This is not the case, however, with the rightly-feted Bad Touch who, having formed in 2010, have earned their name by touring the UK relentlessly and honing their craft along the way. Now on their third album, Bad Touch are a festival mainstay thanks to their fiercely entertaining live show, and the aptly-titled shake a leg does much to bottle that infectious energy over the course of the thirteen tracks on offer.
Kicking things off on a lively note, George Drewry’s thunderous drums announces the arrival of hard-hitting single lift your head up, all blazing guitars and soulful vocals. It’s a strong start but it pales in comparison to the bluesy might of Hammer Falls, the greatest song that Joe Bonamassa never wrote, with Stevie Westwood doing his best Stephen Stills over the top. An absolute gem of a track, Hammer Falls shows the wannabes how things should be done, and if the infectious melody isn’t lodged in your brain after a single play, the only possible conclusion is that you’re playing it too quiet. With more than a hint of AC/DC, Too many times is a lean, mean rocker with stripped-down verse and gnarly riffing all present and correct. We’re back into razor-sharp blues territory with Dressed to kill, an anthem-in-the-making that is delivered with near-religious zeal, Stevie in particular delivering a performance that evokes the spirit of Bon Scott as the band rage away behind him. It doesn’t stop there, either. Keeping the pace tough and the needle firmly in the red, Skyman adopts a similar pose to The Rides, whose take on blues-infused rock is similarly effervescent. Next up, it’s time for a well-earned breather as the band introduce I belong on a dusty, soulful note, although it is not long before things explode once more. A wonderful choice for a future single, I belong is a perfectly-phrased anthem for anyone who has ever knelt at the altar of rock, and the band’s deft use of dynamic is exhilarating. The first half comes to a cacophonous end with the humongous Show me what it means, a song which was surely tracked with guitarists Rob Glendinning and Daniel Seekings sporting huge grins throughout. Play it loud and try not to play air guitar… I dare you!
Kicking off side two, the seething rock of Tussle has a 90s alternative vibe to it (think Black Crowes and Urge Overkill), and the heavily distorted riffing of Take me away is no less powerful, although the band do leave space for the ever-impressive Michael Baily to exercise his not-inconsiderable bass talents. The track also sees Stevie deliver what may be one of his finest vocal performances to date – his confidence and strength something to behold as he belts out the chorus. The band do take their foot off the pedal with the sweetly soulful believe in me, another track with a Black Crowes vibe, before the hard-riffing movin on up delivers the album’s heaviest moment, a pile-driving riff tethered to Stevie’s salacious vocal. After so tumultuous a track, the stones-y slow tempest sees an acoustic guitar lead the charge before the band bring things to a relaxed close with the countrified bury me. A fine song with which to close the album, it is the calm that follows the storm, letting the listener down gently rather than plunging them too suddenly back into the wider world.
I knew Bad Touch Were good and I expected a solid outing from Shake a leg, but I didn’t expect quite so vital a selection of songs. With a confident, passionate delivery and a fierce dedication to quality control, Shake a leg is, without doubt, Bad Touch’s most mature and powerful outing to date. The band remind us, time and again, that at the root of it all rock ‘n’ roll should be fun and there’s no question that Andy Hodgson has done as good a job as possible of bringing the band’s irrepressible live performance into the living room. Listen loud, listen often and then spend a week trying to wipe the smile from your face – Shake a leg is truly fantastic. 9
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