Nominated for “Best Emerging Blues Rock Artist Of The Year”, sharing stage with classic rock giants, and a fantastic debut album in 2022 were all goals for British 5-piece BRAVE RIVAL. Well, present time, and the band’s sophomore, new effort “Fight or Flight” blows all these achievements simply because this is the best thing they’ve have done so far.
Yeap, “Fight or Flight” is one of the best Rock albums of 2024. Marketed as a Blues outfit, BRAVE RIVAL are much more than that – blues based rock n’ roll, yes, but hard rockin’ at places, injected with soul, mojo, melody – even hooks!
BRAVE RIVAL is fortunate in having a hypnotic duo vying for lead and twin vocals in female wonders Lindsey Bonnick and Chloe Josephine – shades of early Heart and Pat Benatar appear all over “Fight or Flight”, and you’ll love this from songwriting and playing to the wonderful production sound.
‘Fight or Flight’ is, to put it simply, immense. Huge riffs and exquisite solos from Ed Clarke, thunderous drums from Donna Peters, and punchy, growly bass lines courtesy of Billy Dedman underpin the gorgeously powerful vocals of Lindsey and Chloe. If this is the ‘difficult’ second album that everyone talks about, then I cannot wait to hear the third, fourth, tenth album by this most exciting quintet.
Additional musicians include Jonny Henderson on keys, Will Wilde on guest harmonica, and the Vulcan String Quartet.
Each of the twelve tracks on the album is a testament to the talent and power of the band. Many, such as ‘Bad Choices‘, ‘Fairytale‘ and ‘Five Years On‘ will be familiar to many as they appear regularly now in the Live shows, and the beauty of this album is that it perfectly captures the energy of the live performance.
This is just an album that you cannot sit still and listen to. You will suddenly find yourself dancing around the room, such is the effect that Brave Rival’s music has on you. ‘Fight or Flight‘ really should carry a government health warning – Danger: This album will take you over, body and soul, heart and mind! ‘Fight or Flight‘ is not afraid to shy away from difficult topics either.
Songs such as ‘Insane‘, ‘Heavy‘, and ‘Unravelling‘ that touch on the darker side of life – anxiety, depression, narcissists, and failed relationships – sit cheek by jowl with the rebellious joy of being ‘Seventeen‘, the poke-in-the-eye to the doubters ‘Five Years On‘, or the beautiful balladry of ‘All I Can Think About‘.
With an album of this quality and depth it is near-impossible to pick out one or two that stand above the rest, but a highlight should be ‘Fairytale‘, a brooding headbanger of a tune that takes you deep into the rabbit hole, really captures the feel of a live performance.
Album-closer ‘Stars Upon My Scars‘ has that classic Brave Rival sound – bluesy guitars, powerful harmonies, and a driving, anthemic beat. As well as illustrating how the band have moved to a heavier, rockier sound, this is a track that doesn’t just tug at the heartstrings, it rips them physically from you, ties them in knots, and spits them back out at you.
Brave Rival’s ‘Fight or Flight‘ is an album that should be in every Rock music lover’s collection and is one of those LP’s that will be played and played again. Go grab a copy and immerse yourself in its magnificence.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. Bad Choices (3:19)
02. Seventeen (3:00)
03. Stand Up (3:33)
04. Insane (5:03)
05. Fairytale (4:19)
06. Heavy (5:44)
07. All I Can Think About (5:00)
08. Five Years On (3:10)
09. Unraveling (3:29)
10. Sink Or Swim (4:27)
11. Blame The Voices (4:10)
12. Stars Upon My Scars (6:49)
Line up:
Vocals - Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick
Drums, Percussion and Acoustic Guitar - Donna Peters
Guitars - Ed Clarke
Bass Guitar - Billy Dedman
Hammond, Keys and Piano - Jonny Henderson
Brave Rival – Fight or Flight (2024)
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