If Oompa Loompas were real and a group of them liked rock, this would be the album that they would play as they rise up against us all!!!
Son of Hawk’s self-titled, self-released debut album has been declared public. I took a listen, so follow along my Lovelies.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the band play live before and so I am familiar with their style of hard rock, which plays a huge part in my appreciation for their music.
However, a studio album can’t always mimic the live sound of a band. But with this album, Son of Hawk brings a hard-rock-bluesy vibe while still staying true to their ruthless sound. Gaining a reputation for their intense live shows as well as their fun demeanour, this is seemingly captured very well in their studio recorded album. With Heine van der Walt on vocals and guitar, Ashley Hilton Jacobs on the bass, and drums and backing vocals by Nathan Combrinck, I knew this was going to be a dirty little number.
Surprisingly there are a lot of melodic and AOR groove oriented sounds on this album. It’s not all neck breaking speed which in a lot of ways is refreshing. The single “Come Inside” really makes me think of all those proto-punk bands of the seventies washed through with the dirty sheen of eighties Rock and Roll, but with a shade of a bluesy heartfelt ballade. Nonetheless, a great first track.
The second track entitled ‘Trigger’ has a dark hard rock feel, and is captured well with Van Der Walt’s signature vocals and its bold guitar solos. This gets you right in the mood for ‘Make Up Your Own Mind’ with Nathan on the drums, the tight rolls and dirty open high works well with the beat, complementing and accommodating the song.
They then bring it down with ‘Worth It’, with soothing backup vocals that tie the song together – this is one of my favourite songs on this album! This song has a classic rock vibe; like a good old pair of shoes, broken but yet you still want to wear them every day! The next little jam, ‘Bad man’, is a song that’s going to stick in your mind for various reasons; it can go from straight up heartfelt blues to almost 60’s psychedelia while rocking out: astounding.
Incorporating the Trombone and horns on ‘Motorway’ gives this track an upbeat tone, which has a great driving groove, and an added sizzling bluesy bassline, by none other than Ashley. It’s the perfect song that you want to find mid-album as it makes you long for more… And in this case they did not disappoint with this next soothing tune ‘Closure’ – like I just want to give this guy a hug.
With lyrics ‘come on baby, lose control. Bring your body, better move your soul’ in track 8 (‘Voodoo Queen’), Son of Hawk definitely make me want to lose control. Bringing their own twist on Rock and Roll, this is a track that I could and would play for hours on end. With this heavy hitter, I could just imagine the bassist pulling a screwface that summons the power of a thousand lemons (this is a complement).
For something a bit more edgy, ‘Daydreams’ offers soul riveting lyrics and a sudden burst of drums along with a little DOOM, and vintage guitar oriented riffs. Another one of the albums enduring gems is ‘Left Unsaid’, with guttural vocals, a dripping melody and hooks.
Rounding out this solid album ‘Too Far’ allows you to catch your breath; by adding a little extra heart and soul. The aggressive tones and screams will leave you lingering for more. All in all, I really enjoyed this album and would recommend you to stick it in the ‘to listen pile’ as it is well worth it.
For more, follow Sons of Hawk on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SonOfHawk/
