The Roadside Bandits Project – The Roadside Bandits Project (2020)
The Roadside Bandits Project is the brainchild of Santi Arribas and features a host of top-end musicians including members of the Gang of Four and John Sterry. Drawing on a range of genre influences and a love for impressionist art, the collective creates interesting musical soundscapes. Their self-titled album incorporates their wide range of influences.
The album is a collection of songs which are primarily instrumental. There are arresting acoustic tracks mixed in with pictures of devastation and traditional blues or electronica. Each track tells its own story make the album a musical book of short stories.
The album starts with ‘Dawn’ which sets the mood for the entire album. The guitar pierces through you before leading you through the track. This is an instrumental song filled with an outstanding slide performance. There is something captivating about each note and the overall flow of the song.
‘Borders’ has a darker blues feeling to it. At the same time, there is a hint of western tones to the melody that is reminiscent of old west movies. The soaring guitars in the track are expressive and help you imagine horses in a desert landscape. However, the change in the song is what really gets you as the guitar screams through you and take a more rock turn. It is amazing to listen to and the musical ability of the band members really shines.
‘Landfill’ also has a dark tone to it, but the execution is very different to ‘Borders’. The structure of this song is freer with notes sliding in and out over the primary guitar. There is something very cool about this song that grabs you from the first moments and does not give up. The darkness to the track also comes and goes with this almost sinister undertone that lurks below the surface of the melody.
‘Sombre Circus’ features singer-songwriter Nell Bryden and is the first track with vocals. Her dulcet tones flow over you in the most pleasing way as she draws you into the story of the song. There is a depth in this song that is felt through the melody and the vocals. This perfectly complements the lament in the lyrics which look at inequality through poetic storytelling.
‘My Own Lies’ features vocalist John Sterry and continues the political undertones laid out in ‘Sombre Circus’. The approach to this is different on this track as there are driving beats and pushing guitar lines. Sterry’s deeper vocals are smooth against your senses and gently draw you into the song. This is a very interesting track because the lyrics are told from the point of view of a politician who lacks an understanding of key issues. It describes how the politician overcomes this and it is so visceral that you can’t help but be engaged. This the debut single from the album and possibly my favourite.
The next track is ‘The Blues Psycho’ and is this amazing combination of blues and electronica. You are drawn into the melody with the blues notes that have this deep bass that you need to move to. The soaring guitars give way to light undulating synths. The marriage of these two sounds is amazing as the synths create this deep tone that smoothly gives way to the guitar and vice versa.
‘Don’t Be No Fool’ continues this marriage of sounds with Arribas stepping up to the vocal plate. From the first moment, he gets you hooked with his rock-blues vocal performance. The harmonisations on this track also add a little something to it. The lyrics tell a story of bandits who mistreat the many but you can feel that there is something deeper to it.
‘Run’ has a faster pace to it that really gets you revved up. The inclusion of horns in this instrumental track gives it a different vibe from the other tracks. It also helps to pick up the pace while adding a slight Motown flavour to the melody. The song is still very guitar-driven, but the incorporation of other instruments and synths makes it a lot of fun to listen to.
‘Solace’ has this beat to it that creates a whole new dimension and is new to the album. There is an almost hip-hop flavour to the undertone of the melody that lifts the guitar lines in an interesting way. The driving beat sticks with you even as the upper layers of the melody change.
The last track is ‘Dusk’ which is a poetic opposite to the opening track ‘Dawn’. The song itself brings back the tones of the opening, but there is something different about it. While the opening track sets the tone of the album, you can hear how this one is letting you down for the close. It is a very interesting interplay between the tracks and one that perfectly rounds off a skilfully executed album.
The Roadside Bandits Project steal you with their combination of blues and electronica on their self-titled album. The album is a mixture of wonderful guest vocals and instrumental tracks. Each song is unique in its own right, but together they form an amazing musical journey.
Find out more about The Roadside Bandits Project on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
