Brave Rival: Fight Or Flight
Vinyl | CD | Download
Out Now
Blues Rockers dial up the ROCK on album number two.
Brave Rival first came to my attention when a friend got their logo tattooed on his arm. Getting a tattoo of a band with only one studio album is a bold move, so when I heard that 2nd album Fight Or Flight was being released, I thought it would be worthy of a listen or two.
Both albums have been crowdfunded, with targets being met and exceeded, which tells of a band who have already built a dedicated (and tattooed) following. Not an easy thing to do these days.
First album, Life’s Machine, is a strong, energetic record of largely Blues Rock numbers, with nods to a more classic rock sound. It is this side that has been amplified for Fight Or Flight, resulting in an album of riff heavy rock anthems.
The Brave Rival twin vocals, provided by co-vocalists Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick, adds a unique selling point to their music and depth to their sound. A lot of credit on Fight Or Flight must go to Ed Clarke’s guitar mastery, whether creating the riffs that drive the songs or the incendiary solos that explode throughout the 12 songs it contains. While we’re handing out plaudits, the superb rhythm section of Donna Peters (drums) and Billy Dedman also deserve credit for the tight, taut grooves they supply.
Fight Or Flight kicks things off with Bad Choices, which features an opening guitar line that nods to their blues roots, before vocal harmonies come in and move the song on. Soon enough the ROCK begins, with crunching guitar lines and ‘woah-ho’ backing vocals that mark Bad Choices out as a future festival favourite. Brave Rival are an absolute powerhouse of a band and create a mighty sound. Further credit goes to producer Tarrant Shepherd, who has given Brave Rival a crystal clear sound that sacrifices none of its attack.
Second track Seventeen is another riff driven monster, with guitar and drums playing tight and stuttering patterns, until the straight ahead rock chorus kicks in. The harmonies are particularly effective here, giving the vocals an imploring quality.
It quickly becomes clear that while Brave Rival are employing their skills in the Classic Rock arena, they have instinctively managed to avoid the cliches that come with that territory. Lyrics looking at autobiographical mental health issues and in inbuilt sensitivity give their music a fresh, engaging feel.
Stand Up again shows their Blues roots and is another high octane romp, before 4th track Insane slows things down with an acoustic driven reflective number that makes particularly effective use of harmonies. Insane is an intricately put together number that shows there is more to Brave Rival than first impressions would have you believe.
Fairytale starts as another slower number before stop/start guitar riffing takes over. Both of these facets put me in mind of Led Zeppelin ability to change from calm to intense at the flip of a switch. Their can be little doubt of the skill involved in this and Brave Rival seem to have it nailed.
Heavy is a mid-paced rock ballad anthem that is destined to see lighters raised when played live (do people still do that or do they raise their phones with lighter apps these days?). For all his musicianship, Ed Clarke is a master of restraint when it suits the song or the solo, and his work on Heavy shows that up to great effect. The song build and builds, achieving epic status with ease, with a string section adding huge dramatic impact and raising up a huge wall of sound.
All I Can Think About continues in this vein with another slower number with something of a barroom blues feel to proceedings. The songs builds until the drums and bass power in and turn it into a Stonesy rocker, with another blistering solo from Clarke.
This bluesy swagger is kept up for Five Years On and although Brave Rival may seem to have a foot in both the Blues and Classic rock genres, they show that they can switch between them without it ever sounding anything but natural. I am torn between where would be the best place to see Brave Rival live, with some songs seeming perfect for a headline festival set and others conjuring images of smoky blues bars. I would think that they would impress in either, but would particularly like to see them doing the former.
As if to emphasise this point, Unravelling is a straight ahead rocker that would have an audience bouncing from the off. Perhaps the most conventional rocker on the album, it nonetheless benefits from some vocal interplay and a breakdown/buildup that would see any crowd going crazy. Sink Or Swim starts off in a U2 frame of mind before building up to an almost hair metal vibe. Yet again, Brave Rival show that they are not to be straightjacketed by genre. It also features the albums best guitar solo – that man can play!
Blame The Voices takes us into Heart territory with a slow, brooding song that effectively blends guitar and voices before album closer Stars Upon My Scars takes us firmly into Blues rock, as if to reiterate that this is where Brave Rival came from and they have no intention of letting it go. An epic song, clocking in at nearly seven minutes, Stars Upon My Scars is a worthy way for Fight Or Flight to finish, epic and intimate at the same time, with an emotive blues feel running all the way through.
With Fight Or Flight, Brave Rival have shown us that they are a force to be reckoned with, having the skills, the songs and the attitude.
I’m not saying I will rush out and get a Brave Rival tattoo as soon as the shops open, but on the strength of this, I can understand those that do.
Buy Fight Or Flight here
Words by Banjo, you can find his Louder Than War archive here
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