Ruf first toured their Girls With Guitars’ in 2011 featuring Cassie Taylor, Samantha Fish and Dani Wilde, all relative unknowns, and this 2015 incarnation follows the pattern with Eliana Cargnelutti and Sadie Johnson on leads and Heather Crosse on bass and it has to be said that they make a damn fine noise together.
The twin leads are pretty tasty Blues players while Ms Crosse is a far from average bassist and their vocals work well together. The album has a bunch of original numbers plus three covers and tracks such as ‘Girl Band’ and ‘She May Have You But I Got Yo Heart’ suggest that they are pretty good songwriters.
They seem equally comfortable with out and out rockers like ‘Girl Band’ or a funky New Orleans Blues such as David Mason’s ‘Feelin’ Alright’ and their version pf ZZ Top’s ‘Tush’ is a real belter. ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ is pretty well pure Runaways style power pop and tears out of the speakers with real aggression and attack and Sadie Johnson’s collaboration with Eliana ‘Say Goodbye’ is a lovely, soft Blues with a very Joanne Shaw Taylor sad-groove to it.
Sadie has a sassy and soulful vocal style while Heather’s vocal style is more English, almost folky in tone. Eliana is definitely the rocker of the three but they harmonise pretty well and the voices seem to meld seamlessly.
Ruf has found another set of fine musicians, gender be damned, and while this isn’t perfect it is a bloody good introduction to three ladies we may be hearing a lot of in years to come.
