When you are bought to the attention of your label by one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, there’s a certain cachet attached to your name. Simo, signed to Provogue Records, were introduced by none other than Joe Bonamassa, bringing a considerable sense of expectation to the band’s new album ‘let love show the way’. Joe claims that JD Simo, the frontman and guitarist of the band, is “one of the best out there right now”, and the ten tracks that make up the album do a good job of justifying Joe’s faith. A classic power trio, Simo is completed by Adam Abrashoff on drums and Elad Shapiro on bass and the interplay between the three is nothing less than astounding, particularly when you take into account the fact that the album was cut live with no overdubs, keeping the music raw and primal. Recorded at the 60s & 70s communal home of The Allman Brothers Band only adds to the sense of atmosphere and occasion surrounding the album and there’s no doubt that blues fans will find themselves in heaven as the album transports them to a time when music strove for spirit rather than digital perfection.
The album opens with the psyche-infused blues of ‘stranger blues’, an Elmore James cover delivered as a swaggering display of timeless blues recalling the likes of Rory Gallagher and Taste with its raw, gritty guitar and shuffling beat. Boasting a solo that threatens to tear a hole in the heavens, ‘stranger blues’ is the perfect induction to the world of Simo and the music packs a timeless quality so that you can almost hear the vinyl crackling no matter what format you are actually using. With a powerful groove at its heart, ‘two timin’ women’ swaggers into view throwing a hint of Robert Cray smoothness into the mix even as the guitars fizz and burn like white phosphorous. The album continues apace with the grinding riff of ‘can’t say her name’, a track that has been refined as part of the band’s live set for over two years now, and yet, whilst the band are ferociously tight, there’s a sense of spontaneity that comes from the live production process that makes it feel like the band are playing it for the very first time. Just listening to Adam’s thunderous fills is enough to send shivers down the spine and JD Simo’s blistering leads do much to support Joe Bonamassa’s assertion that he’s one of the best players out there. A newer track, ‘I lied’, with its literary allusion to Ginsberg, is a stripped down beast that is as brutal, bloody and sweaty as a bare-knuckle boxing match with greasy leads buried under the weight of the massively distorted riffs. Shifting gear for the Beatles-esque ‘Please’ (the song was inspired by ‘please please me’), the band take the spirt of the Fab Four and send it out into the wilderness, pumped up on amphetamine and shaking with adrenalin fever, Simo showcase their ability to combine the raw power of a live performance with the sort of hard-hitting melodies that have made the Beatles a household name for decades. In contrast, ‘Long may you sail’ sees the band slow the pace and add complex harmonies for a track that sees the band singing out their grief in a manner reminiscent of Neil young’s ferocious ‘tonight’s the night’. Similarly, ‘I’ll always be around’ documents the painful process of letting someone go with dignity intact, no matter the personal grief invoked, and as JD’s warm slide guitar pours over the track, so the pent-up emotion reaches fever pitch.
Having provided the album with a powerful emotional core in ‘long may you sail’ and ‘I’ll always be around’, ‘Becky’s last stand’ references the US bank bailout, and as Simo’s raging guitar runs spill over into the chorus, so the sense of frustration many ordinary people in America feel at the political machinations of the elite are bought vividly to life. ‘I’d rather die in vain’ is a glorious piece of improvisational blues rock that initially sounds like a long lost Zeppelin outtake that packs more into its blistering nine-minute run time than most bands manage over the course of an album. With a jazzy feel offset by bouts of ear-piercing feedback, it feels like Neil Young at his most confrontational covering Miles Davis. The album proper concludes with ‘Today I’m here’ which provides a subtle, beautiful closer to proceedings. However, it’s not over yet, for the CD also offers up three bonus tracks. First up is the album’s title track, which once again references the Beatles. In contrast ‘Ain’t doing nothing’ is another jam that was captured as it happened, the band once again demonstrating unequivocally that spontaneity and heart trump the cold, edited digital perfection of modern day music any day. The album ends with another cover, this time of the Cowboy song (featuring Duane Allman) ‘please be with me. Recorded as an offering to the studio in which the album was recorded, ‘please be with me’ is the perfect conclusion to an album that unerringly captures the spirit of the blues and leaves the listener very much wanting more.
We live in an anodyne age. As music, literature and culture become increasingly homogenous, it’s easy to become jaded and cynical. Artists such as Simo stand as a bulwark against the ever-racing tide of globalization, playing with their hearts on their sleeve and dedicating their life, their talent and their artistry to a cause which too many are all-too-willing to declare dead. Real music, Simo assert, will never die, and ‘let love show the way’ is as perfect example of real music, unadorned by an affected desire for unattainable perfection, as one could wish for. Listening to ‘I’d rather die in vain’ is a powerful moment for any music fan and enough to raise bumps upon the skin. It’s a visceral response to music that packs a gut punch that no amount of studio trickery can ever emulate and it’s an amazing centrepiece to an album that has all the necessary qualities to be considered a classic in the making. ‘Let love show the way’ is a masterpiece and, in time, will be held up alongside the likes of Hendrix and Zeppelin as an object lesson in how to make music.
