LOS ANGELES, CA- Back in September, Bishop Gunn opened for the wunderkind blues guitarist Marcus King, and they let a might impression on me. This band rocks and they rock hard. Equal parts country, blues, funk and good ole rock & roll, Bishop Gunn put on a rousing performance that opened the eyes of many attendees; including mine.
They released their debut album earlier this year, Natchez, and the music on the album sounds like that this quartet (Travis McCready, Drew Smithers, Burne Sharp & Ben Lewis) has been doing it for years. It’s polished with just enough “rough around the edges” to give it a nice rockin’ bite. It goes without saying that Travis’ gritty vocals roots the sound of the band, but it also doesn’t hurt that a handful of the cuts were recorded at the esteemed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with Mark Neill (The Black Keys) manning the production on four tracks.
Their live performance at the Troubadour embodied the sound of their music, shifting dynamics appropriately depending on the mood of the song being performed. I was particularly drawn to their harder rock cuts. When Travis howled into the mic, eyes closed, he did so with a palpable intensity. Think a mix Robert Plant and Ronnie Van Zant circa 70s. High praise for sure, but I think it’s pretty well deserved. The band deserves some well earned recognition as well as they faithfully brought that polished Natchez sound to life. I was particularly drawn to Ben Lewis’ solid, thumping bass lines which really kept a steady groove during the more rocking numbers.
Bishop Gunn just announced European dates in 2019 touring with Slash after they wrap up their domestic gigs this year.
Bishop Gunn has a lot of potential. If Natchez is any indication, I’m looking for lots more southern rock-flavored goodies from this band in the future. I’m pretty sure you need to jump on this band wagon now, especially to catch their kick-ass live performances. You won’t be disappointed.
Follow Bishop Gunn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
**********************
LIVE CLIPS
