Album Review: Testify

D.B.T., or Dynamite Blues Train is a band you might not have heard the name of before.

An easy enough acronym to remember, but really, the most important thing you need to know is, are they any good?

Yes, yes they are.

D.B.T. hail from Wellington and a pretty solid city to come from in the name of blues if you ask me, given Wellington’s penchant for cool, dimly lit speakeasys and number of amazing blues musicians and bands. Anyone else remember Bluenote Bar on Cuba?

D.B.T. play raw blues that is unfiltered and well, exactly how good electric blues should be.

Testify is their debut album, and if that sounds like your kind of jam, get in line.

Eleven tracks, each showing the best of the best of four men who love to jam, get the job done and not only do it well, but have a hell of a time doing so.

Let’s kick off with Payin’ Our Dues. Opening with an edgy bass and once that crunchy electric riff hits you, you know you need to go grab a beer now, because this is a solid toe tapping number.

Further in, D.B.T. show off their full blues prowess with songs like Razors’ Edge Blues, and as you may have picked, it’s a slow jam full of epic solo’s. A kind if sip your beer (or whiskey) and enjoy.

With no shortage of good tunes to pick from, you really get a good idea at what D.B.T. have under their tool belt and with years of experience, it shows.

So could I pick a favourite? Well, Getaway Driver is a scene stealer for sure. It has everything you need. Plenty of harmonica, endless riffs, stealthy lyrics, great tempo. It’s all there. A real tune that translates seamlessly to live I imagine. Also, shout out to Rob’s Song, a quick number clocking in under two minutes. It’s a great little interlude, a sweet and simple little riff.

Overall, there is plenty to like here. It’s a solid debut that is confident and mixed incredibly well. It may be their debut album, but they’ve now set the tone for what’s to come and I look forward to it.