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WESTERN SAND
Western Sand EP

Ditto Music (2013)
Rating: 6.5/10

Hailing from the south of England, Western Sand are another high voltage rock ’n’ roll band being touted as the next big thing. Mind you, they said that about the likes of Voodoo Six, who I was not impressed with.

Even so, Western Sand, who’ve known each other since childhood, have proven with their debut EP that they are certainly a band to keep an eye on, because if you like your rock hard, heavy and energetic then this just might be the sort of record that gives you faith in the British rock scene.

These guys are somewhat journeymen when it comes to gigging and have secured support slots alongside the likes of Black Star Riders and Jettblack, and yet this quartet are barely out of the womb such is their tender age, but when you’ve given yourself a shot of this EP you’ll be hearing a formidable amount of potential.

Western Sand were formed in 2008 by frontman / guitarist Tyler Hains and fellow axeman Jimmy Bradshaw, and are certainly intent in raising the roof with their home grown brand of fiery rock ’n’ roll, which is made all the more sturdy by bassist Findlay Hotchkiss and drummer Nathan Kay.

Admittedly, there is a touch of the generic about such an opus, the band relying heavily on derivative riffs alongside blood, sweat and tears to reach their goals, but there’s nothing wrong with that if it works, and for the most part this four-track opus is a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride which is as straight as a die and ready to party.

My main issue however is that the vocals, despite being full of grit, are not overly compatible with the bruising riffs and hard hitting in drums. In fact, I expected something far more aggressive in the vocal department. Even so, this is still a dirty dose of Southern-influenced rock which will no doubt be given an extra breath of life on stage where those riffs will no doubt rise above the mediocre.

There’s nothing original about Western Sand, but I’m of the opinion that their aim is to rock and nothing more, and this EP certainly succeeds. However, there is a real lack of imagination in those lyrics, and the whole feel suggests a band who want to sound American, what with those Lynyrd Skynyrd grooves, but with the likes of ‘Broken Bones’ the outfit show a softer side as they sweep the listener up with an acoustic intro before hopping onto that dusty rodeo for another ride into the tumbleweed-strewn ghost town as the riffs charge in like a rampant stallion.

Fans of heavy rock will no doubt appreciate the loudness of this record, but for those of you who’ve been around the block a few decades, you may quickly become bored by this rather formulaic EP.

Western Sand could be accused of lacking identity, because there are so many bands of this ilk doing the rounds at the moment, but despite its flaws this is still a big sounding, solid ball of rock featuring some bone-crunching drums and weighty riffs.

Neil Arnold

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