The Empty Vessels - Take A Hard Look

Hear The Track Here

First review from the Rebelriffs blog this month is The Empty Vessels, a real four piece gigging band. So if you happen to live in the UK in general or in Oxfordshire in particular, you maybe already know them. There again, that's probably because you have a life and go out and actually SEE musicians playing instruments (Ed: now there's a thing...), whereas I just get more and more tracks piling up and a life that's in the naahhhhh, best not go there. Matt Greenham is on vocals and guitar, Ross McIvor plays another guitar, Matt ‘Junior’ Greetham whomps the bass and Tom Beale kicks the crap out of those round things... errr....whatyacallums. They describe themselves, with some bravery, as ' a Rock’n’Roll band and not scared of it' Now, that's my kind of attitude.

Yes but Gilmore-san, does it do what it says on the tin. Abser-*******-lutely

There are four tracks on the bands excellently understated website, Take A Hard Look being the one I was offered for download. It didn't satisfy my need to pin this band down though for reasons I shall return to shortly so I went to have a listen to Blood On The Streets and found the same band, but with two different sounds. Classic rock is the name of the game here, and 1970's rock in particular, but to be honest I only got a taste of that with Take A Hard Look, listening to Blood On The Tracks and the others confirmed the band musical competence; they are indeed a honest-to-God rock band in every sense of the word. I was lucky enough to have been around to see some of the bands who pioneered this sound, so I'm VERY picky about it's regurgitation...

Or maybe I shouldn't have brought that up?

Seems to me that the way Take A Hard Look was produced was done in a different way to the other tracks I mention; a wider stereo picture and - I suspect - some inadvertent cleaning up of the overall sound. I'd be willing to bet a pound to a penny that the other three tracks typify what the band sound like live, and for that reason are the tracks I suggest you listen to. While I was listening to Hard Look I was reminded of fussier, more finicky 70's rock bands and I can't say I care too much for that. The other tracks have a much more organic feel and leave me with a much better feeling about the band. In point of fact, I've been back to listen to them a few times now and every time I am reminded of Free, long before they got a record deal that made them rich and famous - and killed them stone dead, but that's another story.

Excellent rock band. Highly Recommended.