Album Review: "Feel The Noise" by Paul Collins

Feel The Noise

Paul Collins is back and better than ever.

Honestly, allow me to display my ignorance to all of you. I am not familiar with the work of Paul Collins. It's a lot like Mitch Hedberg and Peter Frampton I think.

For the rest of us who aren't sure....

Paul's been a professional musician since 1974 and has played in some important bands: The Nerves, The Breakaways, The Beat, and his solo career.

Aside from the list of bands, it could also be said that he has a laundry list of styles and even instruments. Like Dave Grohl, he started off as a drummer and switched to guitar and vocals. Like Dave Grohl, he could actually pull it off....but let's move on to the album review....

Paul Collins (photo by Derek Davidson)

The reason why I took a chance to review this record was not the star power of its author...though it should have been.

It's on Alive Natural Sound, one of my favorite labels and he fits in quite well here.

The album is full of roots rock that wails. Instead of highly overdriven guitars, full of crunch, feedback, and sustain, you're only going to hear natural overdrive. The kind Chicago Bluesmen created by accident.

The vocals are vaguely reminiscent of what we heard in the late 60's and early 70's. Sometimes just about a quarter step off, which gives that forward feeling to the vocals and he'll often delve in to near wails. It's a great mix.

There's some blues influence here as well, aside from just the Kinks. The solos, the few that are here, are very bluesy, much like the rest of the album. It's often forgotten that Rock'n'Roll was just an out cropping of blues, just as metal would be 15 years later.

This album will take you to another place...the beginning.

Release: 9/9/14
Genre: Rock
Label: Alive-Natural Sound
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