The great western wasteland has had many tales devoted to its nature. Odes of both tall tales and vast imagery have crept through history and formed their own kind of folklore. In a time where adventure and destruction alike coursed through the blood of men, there was the great wild west. And there has not been a time quite like it since.
These were the kind of images scattered through my mind when I heard Dust Radio’s music. The album cover displays in bold lettering: RAW & ROOTSY BLUES. And that is the sort of sound that you would expect from the wild west - raw music with soul. But - possibly because the album was recorded last year during lockdown - this sort of sound is still refreshing and great to hear now all these days and years since the time of the wild west.
The blues duo of vocalist and harmonica player Paddy Wells and guitarist Tom Jackson have similar backgrounds of appreciation for the blues, but they did not cross paths until early 2020, thanks to an advertisement looking for blues musicians in the Stockport area. Their desire to create “a dynamic and new sound within a duo” had to be readjusted, however, to a studio atmosphere rather than live gigs due to the pandemic. The results are the self-recorded and self-produced debut EP that will be released on Friday, May 28.
The first single “Dead Man's Crawl” was released on May 7 and is the opening track on the EP. From the very beginning, there is a strong southern sound, but at the same time the impact is found in the subtleness. Dust Radio does not need to have flashy music to have good music; “Dead Man's Crawl” is intriguing with the roots present: great vocals, a guitar that evokes a wonderful tone of summertime but also determination, and a harmonica that flickers in and out to share the melody with the guitar. It makes for a great opening track with not a lot of instruments but a large amount of soul.
“Shotgun Shack” is an exhibition where the blues and country music overlap. The groove present instantly draws you to this track and the duo's strengths are exhibited here, showing that great music can still be created in a raw, stripped-back style.
The writing process is a “combined effort,” as Wells says: “the way it has worked for the E.P. is Tom brings the guitar ideas/riffs, and I add the melody and lyrics.”
Knowing this can explain some of the magic. The groove is there on “Backslider”, so if you want a catchy burst of blues that also has elements from rock and country, be sure to give this one a listen. “Fault Line” is a wonderful song whether you focus on the instrumental or the vocals. And together, something magical happens. But in more mundane terms, this ‘magic’ is really just knowing how to write a good song by taking their strengths and combining these strengths into a bigger picture.
And the bigger picture - so far, anyway - is this EP! It is a great debut, one that instantly grabbed my attention from the very first track. As the EP goes on, you start to hear the theme where the days of the wild west flash before your eyes - but this music comes from across the pond in England. And it turns out that these British musicians have created a great summer soundtrack from the opening single of “Dead Man's Crawl” to the simmering-blues closing track of “Siren Song”.
My ears have been adapted to initially be drawn to more rock-n-roll style of music, but I would be a fool to limit my taste to just one genre. Besides, rock-n-roll has origins and roots in the blues and country music certainly played a part, too. So, as someone who is still finding her way into blues music and all the emotions and soul that are in that genre, I think that the duo of Dust Radio have put together a fantastic debut EP.
So, keep your ears open and be on the lookout for when this EP is released on Friday, May 28. If you have the blues, you can always put your emotions into great music - and it seems that this is just what Paddy Wells and Tom Jackson have done on their brilliant debut.
Dust Radio Website: Dust Radio – Lunaria Records
Dust Radio Bandcamp: Shotgun Shack (E.P.) | Dust Radio (bandcamp.com)