Sky won’t fall’ is the second solo album from award-winning artist Stevie Nimmo and it’s a wonderfully varied work that will undoubtedly see more plaudits thrust his way. Released by Manhaton (the same label that hosts the stunning King King), ‘Sky won’t fall’ was recorded in a brief lull between Nimmo Brothers commitments at Nottingham’s Superfly studios, and over the course of just ten days Stevie, alongside his crack band of Craig Bacon (drums) and Mat Beable (bass), laid down ten stunning tracks that tread the fine line between blues and rock, all produced with a crystal clarity by Andy Banfield (engineer) and Wayne Proctor (production).
The album opens as it means to go on, with a burst of arcing feedback leading into the monumental opener ‘chains of hope’, a raucous, full-blooded blues workout that packs a ferocious punch. Stevie’s soulful vocal rides high and clear over the bravura riffing whilst a stately solo belies the frantic spped with which the album was recorded. The pace hardly slackens for the groovy ‘roll the dice again’ which sees Craig Bacon inserting a neat swing into proceedings whilst Stevie’s smoky voice remains a focal point. Things take a funkier turn with wah-guitar slithering over Mat Beable’s throbbing bass on a track that sounds like Robert Cray covering Jeff Buckley via Eric Clapton. Soulful, slinky and rich, ‘change’ has a strong soul undercurrent and the harmonies on the chorus add a great deal of depth to the track. Sticking in the soulful vein, ‘running on back to you’ is another track that shares ground with Robert Cray’s more evocative material and both Stevie and his band excel at conjuring up substantial depth of feeling even at their most restrained. One listen to the Clapton-esque solo that runs through the heart of the track, for example, will have blues fans weeping such is its beauty. The first half of the album concludes with the countrified pop of ‘walk the thin line’, a beautiful ballad that features Lloyd Maines on pedal steel guitar, the lush slide runs really adding an emotional core to the song
The second half of the album kicks off with the bass-led groove (played by Stevie himself) of ‘I’ll pray for you’. Smooth, soulful and with a chorus to die for, ‘I’ll pray for you’ is a perfect choice for a single with its radio-friendly melody and subtle guitar work and it’s only a shame that we no longer live in an era when such songs would regularly rise to the top of the charts. As the title may imply, ‘still hungry’ sees Stevie and his band get their rock on, as a huge central riff butts heads with Craig’s pulverising beat. A brilliant mid-tempo blues, ‘still hungry’ is an album highlight and a perfect example of Stevie’s fretboard skills. A more elegant blues appears on ‘gambler’s roll’ which has a late-night, Joe Bonamassa vibe before the good time vibe of ‘lovin’ might do us good’ swings into view, hinting at a love of Dire Straits and Clapton at his most restrained and pop-infused (think ‘back home’). The album concludes with ‘love you more tonight’, an acoustic piece that draws all the pieces together and allows for a brief and wonderfully intimate moment in which Stevie resists the temptation to overdo the piece with a big arrangement. The result is wonderfully vulnerable, solo effort from an artist brave enough to step into the spotlight alone.
‘Sky won’t fall’ is something of a treasure. Despite having been recorded at breakneck pace, the communication between Stevie and his band is such that not a single track feels hurried. With beautiful, clear production and plenty of variety, ‘sky won’t fall’ can easily hold its head up high amongst some of the giants of the genre from Cray to Clapton, and the relaxed vibe that pervades the material makes the album a simple pleasure to listen to. The sort of record that makes it feel as if the sun is shining whenever you put it on, ‘the sky won’t fall’ is the blues at its most positive and the musicianship is never less than exquisite. With numerous cracking blues albums appearing in the early part of 2016, it should be difficult for one record to stand out, and yet Stevie’s laid back, soulful approach makes this album a joyful celebration of the blues that is hard to ignore. ‘Sky won’t fall’ comes very highly recommended.
