The Uncarved Block

"Lazy Day" EP Review

​

Mr B & The Wolf give us an injection of dirty, soul-drenched blues in this 5-song EP. The band, based in Chelmsford, are well on their way to making a name for themselves due to their blistering live performances; and listening to this EP you can hear why. The songs on offer here are steeped in that essential American blues/rock style, exemplified by the likes of Humble Pie, The Black Crowes and Rudy Warman & The Heavy Weather. Indeed the vocals of Mr B himself (AKA Dean Baker) have a similar tone to the mighty Steve Marriot, exuding passion and emotion.

​

The title track "Lazy Day" gets the EP off to a raunchy, upbeat start, with a catchy lead guitar intro (slickly played by Ben Pellicci) that smoothly draws us into the twin guitar assault (joined on guitar by George Wallis), whilst the bubbling bass (of Jason Bird) oozes it's way to the surface. All this melts together, dreamily, like blues syrup, over the foot-tapping drumming of Jason Chown. Then Mr B's voice stamps his authority over the song, cutting through the musical sauce with ease, creating an indulgent ice cream sundae that sets the tone for the whole EP.

​

"Rise Up" follows next. It kicks off with a touch of funky blues and explodes into a deeply up-lifting song, as the title would suggest. I can vaguely hear a touch of folk-rock swimming through this tune, too, even though Ben's solos keep it firmly anchored to the blues sea-bed.

​

"Crazy Town" gets it's groove on, grinding out some southern-style blues, over Jason C's heart-beat drumming, and more super-smooth bass action from Jason B. The lead riffs come through clean and clear, piercing the gorgeous melody in all the right places.

​

"Out Of The Mist" is raw and gritty, stripped down (semi-acoustic guitar, bass drum, tambourine, and root-note bass guitar) with Dean's soulful vocals leading the way. This song really is one of those perfect summer festival tracks, with everyone sitting, relaxing by the music tent, beer in hand, as the sun slowly sets and the temperature gently cools. The perfect way to transition from lazy day into crazy night.

​

The mood continues in the same vain, with the beautifully simple "Phoenix" as the evening draws in, and we all "Shine bright" to continue the party. Ah what dreams! In fact, with the absence of summer festivals and gigs due to this 2020 lock-down, the next best thing is to find a deserted place far from the politics, crack open a can and listen to Mr B & The Wolf - therapy to help you forget about it all!

​

The progression of this EP moves through the different blues styles, beginning with the more high energy rock-based tones, gradually bringing the tempo down, and ramping up the soul to life-affirming proportions. You can really feel your soul being hugged by the emotions throughout these songs, and it shows that each musician was involved in the writing process. As a fan of the blues, I can safely say this EP will fit comfortably in to my collection.

​

Andy

​