This Bath five-piece has received rave reviews in The Clash (where ‘Burst It’s Banks’ was single of the month), The List and even BBC Newsbeat, and now they’re getting one here.On first receiving the album through the post, I was somewhat deceived by their youth and relative fresh-faced countenance.  Within seconds of opening track ‘Heaven Never Seemed So Close’ kicking in, I was sold. 

The album begins with a dirty, bluesy stomp that made me think of the ‘white boy blues’ explosion of the mid to late 60s.  ‘Heaven Never Seemed So Close’ was raucous enough to put me in mind of the two Rod Stewart/Jeff Beck albums with its raunchy blues playing and raw vocals. Vocalist Chris Turpin may look like butter wouldn’t melt, but he nearly landed the band with a dry cleaning bill when I almost dropped my coffee in surprise at the power of his voice in opening seconds of the album.  Like so much about this band and what they do, you really have to struggle to remind yourself that Kill It Kid hail from Bath and not the Bayou.

It isn’t all Turpin’s show though.  Steph Ward is a subtle, affecting vocalist whose contribution is to provide the velvet glove to Turpin’s iron fist delivery.  When she takes centre stage on tracks like ‘Private Idaho’ and ‘Fool For Loving You’, the mood changes and the album exudes a different kind of power.  Steph’s style is, to me, Laura Cantrell with a dash of Julie Driscoll thrown in.  Together, she and Chris cook up a storm, notably on the playful country honk of ‘My Lips Won’t Be Kept Clean’.

So there you have it: this album is 100% ‘carpet-burn-to-the-chin-from-your-jaw-dropping’ brilliance.  This album is a million miles away from the current musical ‘plat du jour’, yet possesses the sort of magnetism and energy that would make even the most die-hard 80s acolyte cock an ear.  This is down to virtuoso musicianship from a band that knows their influences and has mastery over their staple ingredients to create something fresh and ambitious whilst ticking every box of the genres they stand astride.  Just forget whatever else it was you were planning to buy or see this weekend, Kill It Kid are here and you cannot resist them.