Review: Various Artists – Piano That Rocks

Earache Records (August 23^rd, 2024)

Reviewer: Chris O’Connor

If you are on any social media platform of late, and are a rock music fan, you will doubtless have already seen the adverts for this album. Four of the current Earache Records roster have re-imagined some of their biggest numbers, in a ‘minimalist’ manner, utilising just pianos/synths/occasionally strings – and voices, and surprisingly, it works … it genuinely really does work.

Featuring music from Those Damn Crows, Kris Barras Band, Scarlet Rebels and The Karma Effect, the songs which for the most part, are already anthems, become something else entirely, taking in an almost dreamy quality, allowing the vocals to soar. It really is quite a surprising and stunning release, and I’ve found myself returning to it repeatedly.

Earache seems to struggle in knowing how to market this, describing it in ways that piano can be brutal here – it’s wrong, it’s nothing of the sort, this is NOT brutal, you want ‘brutal piano’ music – listen to Diamanda Galas. Conversely the label also says it is lullaby music – now this is far more accurate and honest. There is an almost serenity to what is on offer here, and it’s very charming, and you will relax as you listen … no you will!

Vocalists Shane Greenhall (Those Damn Crows), Kris Barras (Kris Barras Band), Wayne Doyle (Scarlet Rebels) and Henry Gottelier (The Karma Effect)are allowed to show just how spell-binding their voices are, and the simplicity of the arrangements prove to be the genuinely perfect accompaniments – each song is therefore given new ‘life’, I may sound like a stuck record – but it truly works. There is an elegance and beauty to each song, songs that are already modern anthems – just reimagined.

In many respects, this is the perfect late evening/night album, it’s something to just lose yourself in. ‘Piano That Rocks’ has already become one of my favourite albums of 2024, and I think once you give it a chance, it will be the same for you too. For budding pianists out there, if you buy a physical copy of the vinyl version (in particular), you get sheet music for your use, should you want to learn to play these songs.

Tracklist: 

1. Those Damn Crows – This Time I’m Ready
2. The Karma Effect – Still Falling For You
3. Kris Barras Band – Secrets
4. Scarlet Rebels – Out Of time (feat: Elles Bailey)
5. Those Damn Crows – Sin On Skin
6. Kris Barras Band – Landslide
7. Those Damn Crows – Blink of An Eye
8. Kris Barras Band – Hourglass
9. The Karma Effect – The Thoughts Of Loving You
10. Scarlet Rebels – Practice Run