The Roadside Bandits Project – Little Babylon (2022)
One man alone can make an impact on the music world, but what happens when you bring together numerous professionals of the highest musical calibre – ‘Little Babylon’, that’s what. The brainchild of producer/artist Santi Arribas, The Roadside Bandits Project is a solo endeavour with the aim of sharing top-notch tracks with the world. Critically acclaimed from his debut single ‘Sombre Circus’ to ‘Wastelands’, The Roadside Bandits Project proves he is not to be pigeon-holed. Join us as we gander at the latest release, ‘Little Babylon’.
Described as melding blues with electronic to “get you thoroughly hooked to their music”, The Roadside Bandits Project has an obscure and hypnotic sound. Following his BB King meets Eric Clapton track ‘Wastelands’ (read our review here), ‘Little Babylon’ adopts a heavier, high-energy, catchy and spirited sound. Collaborating with singer Julian Casewell, bassist Mark Neary and drummer Jon Finnigan, Santi Arribas brings old-school hard rock to modern-day society with a contemporary edginess. Pounding drums merge with dynamic guitars to create a toe-tapping, headbanging foundation within the kaleidoscopic soundscape. It’s damn amazing, particularly for those audiences who appreciate screeching guitar solos crescendoing into infectious choruses.
The thing is, while the track has a mindblowing punchiness to the melodic arrangement, it does not carry a whimsical message. In fact, the lyrical content is as hard-hitting and brash as the melody itself. Sincere and brutally honest, ‘Little Babylon’ explores existential political truths and how it affects society. Actually, it’s a parallel between the less favourable historical figures like Marie Antoinette and the UK’s very own Boris Johnson. To show how history repeats itself and what chaos ensues…but in a particularly eloquent way.
Overall, I adore ‘Little Babylon’. From the grittiness of Casewell’s vocals to Arribas’ guitars, ‘Little Babylon’ is a shot of tequila with a punch to the gut (in the best way possible).
For more from The Roadside Bandits Project check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
