Independent (label)
04 July 2018 (released)
04 July 2018
Deep Blue Sea have been prolific in the South London and Kent region for a few years and this live release is a pretty good introduction to the band.
Although on the face of it they are a Blues band they have clear talents in wider directions than the Blues – touching on rock and folk at times – and are individually pretty well versed musicians.
The combination of Dregas on vocals and Iago on lead guitar is classic and Graeme Wheatley (ex-Little Devils) on bass gives a solid backbone along with Amanda Dahl on drums.
Put the four together and it sounded to me as though they each had things to bring to the party and that they gelled to create a sound greater than the sum of its parts.
Kicking off with ‘Rock Star Status’ they quickly kick into a loud and brash fast Blues with Dregas instantly showing off some powerful lungs and a pounding beat from the ‘engine room’. Iago throws a grand solo into the mic and they are off with a bang.
As if just to show that they can do different things they turn to rockabilly for ‘All Our Yesterdays’ and then a scratchy and funky little number ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ with loads of classic 60’s imagery and a great bass line. Iago’s guitar swings from funk rhythm to Hendrix-styled lead and solo.
‘Black Diamond’ follows, a biographical number around the near-death of Graeme’s grandfather in a Durham pit disaster. It’s a dark and heavy track – much like its subject matter. Iago’s guitar really has a spooky tone to it and Dregas vocal is emotive and carries the power of the song well.
They also do a fine version of ‘Soho By Night’ – one of my all time favourite ‘London’ numbers – sung by Graeme and tear the air up with Iago’s solo on ‘The Thrill Of It All’.
All told there are 10 songs here and they give a pretty good feel for the band. Definitely a band I will catch if they stray into North London and a pretty good example of why the Blues is alive and well today.
