BAD TOUCH BITTERSWEET SATISFACTION ALBUM REVIEW

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REVIEWER – GRAEME WRIGHT

Bad Touch has been around since 2010, but we only really crossed paths when I saw them live at The Waterloo Bar in Blackpool this year. I was so impressed by their performance that night I immediately raided their Merch stand and purchased every CD they had available for sale that evening. ‘Shake A Leg’ and ‘Kiss The Sky’ are both really strong albums, so the big question was always going to be whether the new album would reach the high standards of both those records. Well, I’m pleased to report that not only is it easily the best thing this band have ever produced by a country mile, but it’s also one of the best albums I’ve heard all year and will easily make its way into my top ten.

There are ten songs featured here and all ten are of the highest quality with not a filler track in sight. The band play Heavy Rock and Blues with a hint of Country about them and everything on display here suggests that this could be the record that takes them to the next level. Every single thing, from songwriting to production quality, is on point for this collection of songs. If you add Stevie Westwood’s amazingly versatile voice to the mix, combined with the fact that every single band member appears to be performing at the peak of their powers, you have an almost perfect storm.

Album opener ‘Step Away’ gives notice of what is to follow. A heady mix of Blues guitar and a pounding drum beat leads us into a straight-up rock and roll with a huge chorus and it’s so catchy and infectious that you immediately realise you are in safe hands. ‘This Life’ is another track that has you on board from the very first listen. Westwood has never sounded better than he does on this record and if you didn’t know better you’d think this band were operating out of Alabama or Nashville rather than sunny Norfolk! ‘Spend My Days’ is up next and builds to an almost joyous yet soulful hook and chorus. The title track ‘Bittersweet Satisfaction’ is probably the heaviest song within this collection and is an arena-quality rocker that thunders along to a huge climax.

‘Nothing Wrong With That’ was the best song when I saw the band live and not only is it the best song on this album, it’s actually the best song the band have ever produced in my opinion. More than a touch of Country about it, it’s the kind of record that given the right airplay could give this band a real lift to the next level. It actually slightly skewed my perception of this album initially because I kept hitting the repeat button rather than playing the record through to its conclusion, but in this case, it’s totally justified because the song is that good.

‘Taste This’ takes us back into heavier Blues Rock territory with the singer hitting a deeper pitch than usual, while ‘Tonight’ switches up the pace and is the kind of song that will have people dancing in the aisles at a live show. ‘Come Back Again’ is a fabulous radio-friendly song that takes things down a notch pace-wise, while ‘See It’ is typical Bad Touch in that it’s a joyful and immediately entertaining rock and roll song. The album closes out with ‘Dizzy For You’ which has a touch of Lynyrd Skynyrd about the guitar work and is a fantastic album closer.

You will have gathered that I absolutely loved this record. I’ll be purchasing it on release and will be first in the queue next time the band are out on the road. Bands like this should be cherished, encouraged and supported when they are producing music of this quality. My absolute highest recommendation.

BAND

Stevie Westwood – Vocals

Rob Glendinning – Lead Guitar

Daniel ‘Seeks’ Seekings – Guitar/Vocals

Michael Bailey – Bass Guitar

George Drewry – Drums/Vocals

ALBUM TRACK LIST

  1. Slip Away
  2. This Life
  3. Spend My Days
  4. Bittersweet Satisfaction
  5. Nothing Wrong With That
  6. Taste This
  7. Tonight
  8. Come Back Again
  9. See It
  10. Dizzy For You

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