A power trio from the southern part of The Netherlands, the personnel of this outfit comprises guitarist and singer Pablo and drummer Luka van de Poel with the brothers joined by Robin Piso on Hammond. The group name comes from a character in the film Pulp Fiction. This Mascot release is the act’s sixth album. They have already attracted the attention and drawn praise from Roger Glover, Ten Years After’s Ric Lee, Seasick Steve and Robert Plant. They are now based out of Utrecht where they have created a studio with its own vibe. Let’s check the album content now…

Lead cut Big Talk is a tremulous buzz of a song, with emphatic drumming. The most striking feature is the vocal which is VERY Robert Plant in style if not fully in tone. The guitar whines on a fast-tremelo setting and the organ sounds very Deep Purple, all block chords and semi-classical motifs. The gnarly and flanged guitar break sounds extremely angry. On to California Burning. A huge mistake to call a song this, with so many lives lost in raging fires along the US West Coast. The song’s stabbing beat exudes pent-up power then settles into a funk tread, the vocal is a few paces off whiney but confident, as this style does always demand.

Once In A Blue Moon is a very laid-back guitar ballad almost in early Nils Lofgren mode, the pretty melody. As I listen I am hoping they don’t heavy it up, always a corny move. It’s then halfway to that, but kept subtle. The Hammond solo is entirely in keeping with the tune and sounds good. Double Crossing Man is energetic and catchy, in a Grand Funk Railroad kind of way. It’s a bright boogie vibe here, you almost expect Joe Walsh to start singing! Tombstone Child has a solemn air to it, choppy chord stabs and all. The vocal slips into falsetto here and there.

Deceit & Woe has edge to spare and riffing that has Hendrix echoes, somehow. Maybe the best song here, declamatory vocal and bv’s. Apparently it’s about D Trump. A strange tempo switch into blues happens. Freeway Flight uses that plaintive tremelo’d guitar on a slow tempo outing worthy of Delany & Bonnie. Here’s where the coasting Hammond helps. Tragedy? Not Today doesn’t take too long to slip into a CSN riffing sound, delay on the vocal. Might have been a radio hit in the early 70’s…

Next comes Sometimes has something of a reggae ambience, distorted vocal pleading over slivers of wah’d guitar. They sound most like their own band, here and less influenced by historical acts, though of course we all are. Swain is a hard-driving rocker and the approach very direct garage rock. Around the minute mark a sharp guitar break punches in. The closing track is Outta Step & Ill At Ease starts out slow and heartfelt. The guitar is sublime, with a ringing tone and a hint of fuzz.

A load of Seventies influences inform this collection but on the better cuts, the group does show its individual character. Surely great festival fare?

Pete Sargeant