One of the best things about having the privilege to review new music is when you come across an artist or band that has managed to thus far elude you and become acquainted with some brand new music that manages to lift your spirits straight away. Today’s revelation is Chris King Robinson who along with his band play smooth, groovy blues with a nice funky element in there too. The ‘Tell Me Why You’re Scared’ EP is their first release, having only been on the scene for a little over a year, and I have to say I really like it. Chris looks after guitar and vocals, and while the guitar is the hero each member of the band certainly plays a large part in their sound and as a combination they fit together so well. The band comprises Chris (Guitar & Vocals), Nigel Turner (Bass), Tom Relihan (Drums) and Zac Wood (Keyboards) and while they might not currently be household names, make no doubt this is a very talented bunch of musicians.

With five tracks on offer here Mr. Robinson kicks things off very nicely indeed with a lovely intro into ‘(Why) Don’t You Give Me Your Love‘ which has a really classic blues sound to it, very groovy bass lines and when the guitar is let free midway through the song it’s excellent, blending a slightly murky tone initially and then bursting into some nice clean tones, this is definitely classic sounding, but not in an old school way, this band has that sort of modern feel like some of the genre’s other rising starts, certainly in the UK, the likes of Laurence Jones, Mitch Laddie or Aynsley Lister, there’s a smooth play to it all but also an excitement once they allow the freedom to take over. ‘Burning Eyes‘ is a slightly more sombre sounding affair before we kick into the excellent title track ‘Tell Me Why You’re Scared‘ which again shows off a nice blend of smooth blues and a slightly funky edge, before Chris kicks in again with with a heavier riff, there’s some really nice keys in here from Zac and that oh so funky groove from Nigel, with everything solidified by Tom, there’s a great drive here and a feeling that the guys all play their part in the music, a tight unit, and the promise of a lot more to come.

Next up is ‘Trippin’ On Earth‘ which is another cracking track and maybe a little bit more blues rock than others on offer here, but the vocal effects aren’t something that really do anything for me, still that’s a personal thing and the song itself has a very soulful side to it, bringing you to floating above the clouds before the chorus kicks in and a much heavier side is shown with a really nice grimy solo towards the end before we float out one again. The EP is brought to a close with ‘Woman Who You Talkin’ To‘ with a classic Blues bass run right thought the middle of it, and this is the band in a much more classic blues mood, but it sounds great, some really nice guitar in this one again, I think Chris has a great tone. Whether or not these guys have found their unique style in blending Blues with funk/soul and that oh so smooth sound only time will tell, but one thing is for sure this is a name you should keep in your mind and keep an eye open for if they are playing close to you, the Chris King Robinson band are a talented bunch and hopefully there’s a promising future ahead for them.