Diamond In A Coalmine - Jake Chisholm - New Release Review

I just received the new release, Diamond In A Coalmine, from Jake Chisholm and I really like it. Chisholm is on of the few younger guys who are embracing the basic rudiments of rock and blues creating a raw but cohesive music. Opening with I'm Gonna Let You Be, a strong mix of blue, rock and rhythm, you can hear Led Zep and Robert Johnson. Powerful drumming by Sly Juhas, ripe guitar riffs and a strong hook allow Chisholm to do his lead vocals in a rustic distorted fashion. Very nice. Let's Do It Again with a driving bass bottom by Chris Banks with early ZZ Top flavored slide work this is another cool track. Robert Johnson's Traveling Riverside Blues is up next with a fresh look. It keeps a lot of the original raw edge but with an updated feel and primitive sounding guitar riffs played forward in the mix. My guess is you'll hear comparisons drawn between Chisholm and other like minded artists such as Stripes and Keys. The music is born of the same mother but the children all all different. Don't Take It So Hard has a bit more of a rock beat and the track is really dominated by Chisholm's vocals and really stripped down instrumentals. This is another really cool track... but they all are! Blood Red Sun has a real drive to it with Chisholm balancing his vocals against the guitar and allowing the drums to take a solid lead. Only using the instruments as a road map and allowing the music to breathe is a tough task and one well accomplished here. The Young Rascal's You Better Run has a bit more structure almost brought up to a minimal Paul Rogers track. This track keeps with the primitive nature of the recording altogether but with more instrumental support. Chisholm plays a more rocky solo on this track and uses his guitar on rhythm very effectively. Diamond In A Coalmine is the strongest track on the release having a solid R&B structure. This track, with strong vocal orientation, a sweet melody and super guitar solo is bound for airplay and will also likely appeal to blues lovers. That's All They Can See takes a rhythmic hint from Purple Haze but the over the top pyrotechnics are missing, instead replaced by raw sound and enthusiasm. Chisholm plays some simple yet dynamic guitar riffs on this track making it another track which could garner strong air support. A very cool track. The final track, When Love Goes Wrong is a very strongly constructed track with lush Jimi like chords. The vocals are simple and straight forward and the most conventional blues ballad style guitar solo is included. This is a really smart track and a great wrap up for a very strong outing!

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