Tom Davies & The Bluebirds

There’s a confident swagger running through 'Angel on the Mississippi', the latest release from Tom Davies and the Bluebirds, that marks it out as a band utterly at ease with its influences yet keen to bend them to its own ends.

Opening salvo 'You’re Gonna Wreck My Life' wastes no time. Built around a riff that nods firmly in the direction of Led Zeppelin’s 'Heartbreaker', it beefs up the attack with a growling Hammond organ that thickens the groove and gives the track a churchy, Southern hue. It’s punchy, strutting and immediate.

'Blues for Greeny' kicks into life with the insistent propulsion of Pink Floyd’s 'Money', before sliding into a sinuous Blues figure reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac in their 'Black Magic Woman' pomp. A subtle hint of Cuban-inflected drumming adds an extra layer of rhythmic spice, preventing it from ever feeling derivative.

'Devil’s Highwater' takes a more angular route. There’s a touch of Franz Ferdinand’s clipped urgency in the opening gambit, but Davies and co quickly descend into a muscular Blues riff before unleashing more Page-like guitar flourishes. It’s a track that shifts gears with relish, balancing Indie tautness and classic Blues-Rock heft.

Throughout the record Davies proves himself a commanding frontman. He mixes the impassioned, chest-thumping delivery of Andrew Strong with an ability to rein in the power, dropping into a sotto voce for the more maudlin moments. That dynamic control gives the album emotional breadth.

The Hammond organ brings beautifully soulful touches across the set, but it’s the guitar work that demands you simply stand back and admire. Nowhere is this clearer than on the near nine-minute title track, 'Angel on the Mississippi', where layered textures and soaring lines build to a thrilling crescendo without ever losing clarity.

Closing number 'Mainland Evil' arrives like a sombre hymn, its coda unfurling with a stately, almost liturgical gravity. It’s a fitting benediction to an album that marries firepower with feel, and reverence with rawness.

Ivan De Mello