BB & the Bullets is a New Zealand blues-rock power trio whose leader, Brian Baker (BB), conjures evocative tales with his gritty vocals, sparked by his searing guitar. He's backed by bassist Stu Duncan and drummer Brad McMillan, who complete the Bullets with a rock-steady groove and their always-on-target background vocals.
The band, known for its high-voltage style and relentless gigging in New Zealand, has released its second album, Wrong Side Of The River, a follow up to its acclaimed debut, 2025's High Tide, on the French Dixiefrog label. It charted in New Zealand and Australia and hit No.1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Rock Album chart.
Wrong Side Of The River overflows with ten smartly crafted Baker originals plus a roaring cover of Peter Green’s classic “Oh Well.” Every track is driven hard by the fully locked-and-loaded Bullets, burnished by Baker's fiery axe and the trio's relentless groove.
The Bullets open with the hard-driving, blues-shrouded mystery of “Midnight Rider,” staring darkly into the future: “Midnight rider / You’re coming way too fast / Now I know my life wasn’t meant to last.“ Baker's up-front vocal drives the jazzier taste of “Wild Honey”: “When I’m sad and lonely / And feeling hazy blue / One thing can make me smile / And that’s a little taste of you.”
“Freak Show” backs cryptic lyrics with a trance-like groove that pulls you into its depths: “There’s a face in the mirror don’t believe it’s mine / There’s tears dripping down the laughter lines.” “Wrong Side Of The River” slows the tempo but steps up the passion in a torchy anthem of unreachable love: “We got different lives / So from any point of view / I’m on the wrong side of the river from you.”
“Get A Little Real” creates a tapestry of vocals and lyrical guitar trying to define a relationship: “Her attitude just tells me / Let’s see your truth show through your actions boy / Let’s get a little real.” The Bullets then explode into Peter Green's classic Fleetwood Mac song, “Oh Well,” with razor-sharp guitar and furious drumming. A satisfied laugh at the very end captures the sheer enjoyment of this magnificent effort. Next, the hypnotic propulsion of “Sometimes You Lose Yourself” builds around the self-reflection of its lyrics: “Sometimes you lose yourself / Sometimes you lose everything else.”
“Black Crow” soars in with a driving beat, delivering its apocalyptic prophecies: “There’s no escape when the black crow comes / That bird wants meat and all you’ve got is crumbs.” Baker's stinging guitar pierces the heart of “The Buddha Song” with its eloquent message: “Hatred is never conquered by hatred / But is overthrown by love alone.” “She Knows” leans on a catchy beat and rhythmic wordplay to explain that he's always the last to know: “She’s a leg and a foot ou
the door / But he never saw it coming / No he never saw it coming / Now he’s smoking on the floor.“ “Crawl Right In” closes the album with a joyous invitation: “Open up my heart now honey and crawl right in / I don’t know where you come from / I don’t care where you been.”
BB & the Bullets have loaded their energetic intensity into Wrong Side of the River to create this high-caliber blues-rock festival. Join the crowd and cheer them on! Jim White
WEBLINKS
WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER – TRACK LISTING:
01: ‘Midnight Rider'
02: ‘Wild Honey'
03: ‘Freak Show'
04: ‘Wrong Side Of The River'
05: ‘Get A Little Real'
06: ‘Oh Well'
07: ‘Sometimes You Lose Yourself'
08: ‘Black Crow'
09: ‘The Buddha Song'
10: ‘She Knows’
11: ‘Crawl Right in'
FOCUS TRACKS (suggestions only) 1. Midnight Rider, 2. Wild Honey, 3. Freak Show, 6. Oh Well
For more information: Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com
 |
[Back to TOP] |
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten