Review: Big Wolf Band – Rebel’s Journey

Big Wolf Band – Rebel’s Journey

Self Release (April 19^th 2024)

Reviewer: Chris O’Connor

Now three albums into their career, Birmingham Blues Rockers Big Wolf Band have never sounded more confident or assured. This could well be because they are now an award-winning band, or because frontman Jonathan Earp has used this album as a middle finger riposte to his unpleasant ongoing physical and mental health issues (something I can absolutely empathise with).

As the man himself says: “I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (HEDS) which affects everything. I had surgery in mid-2019 during our ‘Be Free’ tour to repair damage to my right shoulder, dislocations, and nerve pain. Unfortunately, the operation caused more pain and numbness and for nearly 2 years I struggled to play; some days to even hold a plectrum”. Therefore, this album is a personal victory in itself.

The band is a talented quintet: Jonathan Earp (vocals/lead guitar), Justin Johnson (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), Robin Fox (keyboards), Mick Jeynes (bass guitar), and Tim Jones (drums), accompanied by backing vocalist Zoe Green, who unsurprisingly, excel at writing and performing Blues with an almost Southern Rock tinge – therefore are a combo who are musically right up my strasse! Imagine early (Moody/Marsden era) Whitesnake jamming with Doc Holliday, and you won’t be too far from what this splendid outfit sounds like. They are big on melodies and soulful passion, always a great combination in my book!

The album is chock full of elegantly crafted numbers, all of which are performed with genuine passion, and the album has a rich and fall production, which allows each instrument to shine through perfectly. Jonathan has a smooth and pleasing voice, and while the band is not reinventing the wheel musically speaking, they do what they do with a driving conviction. My only real criticism is the album is a little overlong, I genuinely believe a little judicious pruning may have made it just that little more cohesive (if that’s the word I’m looking for).

Opening the album with ‘Empire And A Prayer’ is a smart move, the song powers along nicely, it’s a thumping statement of intent. The Southern infused ‘Valley Of The Fallen Kings’ is one of my favourite songs, and placing it early in the tracklist is a smart move. Other highpoints are the purposeful ‘Six String Loaded’, which again has distinctly Southern Rock overtones, and the moody ‘Black Dog Blues’ – which is clearly a very personal song to Jonathan.

The epic ‘Standing In The Rain’ is a wonderfully bluesy tour de force, while ‘Got Me Reeling’ has a cool ‘n’ funky riff, that brings to mind The Blues Band for this humble scribe (which is surely never a bad thing. ‘Darker Side Of You’ is a plaintive lament to lost love, and ‘Just A Little Bit’ has a touch of ZZ Top about it – which again, can never be a bad thing. ‘Rebel’s Journey’ is not going to take you anywhere you haven’t been before – HOWEVER – Big Wolf Band deliver with style, elan, and genuine passion, and that boys and girls, is worth it’s weight in gold. Definitely recommended, now can we have some more please guys?