Hi, it’s your friendly reviewer looking today to get the Moove on the new Milk Men album, the aptly named “Spin the Bottle” which is out on Friday 9th September 2022.
Having listened to this over breakfast this morning, I can honestly say this is a full pint of an album, no quarter measures, nothing watered down, blue top to full cream all the way! That is enough of the milky humour (for now). It is time to take you to the album.
BAND LINE-UP
Jamie Smy – Vocals
Adam Norsworthy – Guitars, Piano, Backing Vocals, Percussion
Lloyd Green – Bass Guitar
Mike Roberts – Drums
ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
James Welch – Hammond organ
This is The Milk Men’s fourth album, and they are also on a UK tour at the moment until mid December. For those of you new to the band, they are a strong British (South London based) R&B outfit with a drummer who has clear jazz roots. Dipping into the catalogue you get a gold blend of rocking Blues with a heritage that would pull from the Stones.
The band sought the services of blues rock production icon Wayne Proctor, who has collaborated with a dazzling variety of notable figures from the UK’s music scene, including King King, Ben Poole, and British rock great Ray Davies from The Kinks.
The album was co-produced by Proctor and Adam Norsworthy.
The publication of the band’s previous album, “Deliverance,” coincided with the implementation of the COVID lockdown, preventing the band from touring the tracks as planned. Instead, they focused on expanding their fan base by releasing videos and singles, resulting in a tenfold rise in their internet following. As a result, a rising number of fans now anxiously anticipate Spin The Bottle.
And to the album…It kicks off with a funky, entertaining, and nippy number called “Driving It.” It takes the listener to the race track, and at one point, I swear it reminded me of The Vapours. It’s blues that makes you smile! Old fashioned rock n’roll.
This follows along with “Cheap Seats” that had me dancing around the breakfast table, and that NEVER happens! It’s very infectious. It was the single from the album and has a nifty promotional video and picture to accompany it.
The album is really really good. It’s a band very much in the groove,
We wanted to really get this one right, says Adam. We know a lot of people are keen to hear it, so we have used a number of great studios and production talents to help us put it together.
They use catchy chorus lines, the instrumentalisation is spot on, and they move into slightly different tempos to spice up the run of tracks. “Adelaide,” for example, is an acoustic number, dreamy, but still moving with a groove, and its feel good which we all need in the dark days, try “Go Go Baby” for example.
It’s an interesting album and plays with light and shade in the way that a band like Queen would slip between different styles on any given album (there is, for example, an Elvis pastiche with “Fabulous”). That confidence bubbles through, and Jamie Smy comments:
It was important that it sounded like us—no frills and tricks. Our live shows are so well received that we wanted to capture all the things we do best on this album. We have a real momentum behind us and it’s important that we capitalise on that with Spin The Bottle.
It will be a deservedly acclaimed album, it shows just how high the bar is at the moment with British Blues.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
All songs written by Jamie Smy & Adam Norsworthy
Except Tracks 7 & 9 written by Lloyd Green & David Coleman
Track 8 written by Lloyd Green
Recorded at Masterlink Studios, Surrey
Savannah Studios, Park Hall Studios, London
Recorded by James Welch
Produced Adam Norsworthy & Wayne Proctor
By Stevie Ritson