The recording has a warm, live feel that’s well suited to earthy blues rock that Stonehouse trade in. They’re pretty solid at it too, with some deft harmonies augmenting some well-penned choruses. Yeah, they know how to throw a hook. They manage to boogie it up nicely on ‘Wintertime’, and the solos are well executed and kept in check in terms of duration. So far, so nicely balanced.
That they don’t sound Welsh could be a criticism or a compliment, depending on your perspective. The urgent-sounding ‘Ceidwad’ I clearly a not to nationality, but from the vintage valve sound to the singing accents, Stonehouse replicate a classic American sound all the way. And fair enough: they’re aligning themselves with a longstanding tradition, and they’ve managed to fit into it, and still sound remarkably authentic.
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Lyrically, it’s all pretty stock stuff: people with their lives at crossroads, sipping moonshine, people damaged by hard living and hard relationships, lonely girls, etc., etc., but then you don’t listen to a band like this for its revolutionary fervour. And in this context, ‘Junction’ delivers exactly what it sets out to, and with aplomb.
Stonehouse Online
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