Album Review: Hard Road

Merv Pinny has just released his long-awaited album, Hard Road, a collection of 12 songs that represent what he “wants to say at a particular point in time”. Although predominantly a Blues Rock album, other genres certainly have sneaky ways of popping their heads up, too.

Shake For Me is the album opener, a Blues-tinged radio-friendly rocker. Great production, slick and slinky, the horn section being the perfect icing on this layer cake. A riff full of attitude accompanies Merv’s smoky vocals. Rise On Up has a somewhat more Country Rock sound, with a nice solid acoustic guitar line. The chorus accentuated by some big gang vocals that really bring it to life. A steady groover that rolls as much as it rocks. Bang Bang I’m Dead will have you dusting off your Boogie-Woogie shoes and/or pants, and getting ready to cut some shapes. The horn section returns to add some delicious flavour to this rollicking dancefloor-filler, a tale of sass and shenanigans.

Merv clearly has a knack for creating a good ol’ booty-shakin’ groove, and Hard Road To Hoe is no exception. He’s secured some fantastic backing vocalists for this album too, a very talented band line-up all round. Water To Wine makes me feel like I’m in a dimly lit, smoke-filled speakeasy, the house band holding the audience spellbound as they play their hearts out on the tiny stage. I’m loving the mid-section guitar solo, subtle and simple, and a perfect fit. Hold Me Love Me Tell Me is stylistically quite different to the previous tracks. Soulful Pop Rock with big vocals and a huge presence, a chorus that hooks in and pulls you inexorably along for the ride. However, Little Green Men is quite different again. An Irish-themed Techno-Pop song, featuring a drunken soldier and a bonny lass “with a very nice ass“. Because why not.

The Techno-Pop continues with What Are You Lookin’ At? from the perspective of a chap who everyone seems to think is a hillbilly, despite him having been born in L.A. This has a distinct 80’s feel, and takes a few unexpected lyrical turns. It’s back to rough and ready Blues Rock territory with I. This chorus is massive, it just explodes out of the song, and grabs you firmly (but tenderly) by the earholes. Too Much White Too Much Red is a song of excess regretted, set over the top of another of Merv’s effortless grooves, the guy can’t even be painfully hungover without sounding as smooth as smooth can be.

Slow and steady certainly wins the race on My Freedom My Rights, low and brooding, full and deep. Lyrically a tad obscure, “My Freedom My Rights” repeated often, but without any particular context. Album closer House of Shame is even slower again, but with a sultry atmosphere and haunting sparseness. A superb way to bring this album softly to its conclusion, as the final notes fade away to silence.

Hard Road has something for lovers of many varied genres. It’s what Merv Pinny wanted to say at this point in time, and he had a lot of good things to say.