24 Pesos
Album: When The Ship Goes Down
Label: Ourgate Records
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.24pesos.com

Raw and raucous blues rock from the fast-rising Brit-blues stars with aspirations to push the boundaries as much as their audience will allow them. It'll take time, but working Captain Beefheart into Tryin' To Get Back To You is a step in the right direction.

For now though, it's clearly in their interests to keep things a bit more mainstream which would explain the prevalence of funky blues rock riffola on this new album showcased most plainly in Ain't Gonna Beg No More. It makes sense as 24 Pesos kick past the usual funky tra-la-la and lean towards the greasy gumbo stew of The Meters, working a mean organ and bass match that betrays singer-guitarist Julian Burdock and bassist Silas Maitland's previous partnership backing the mighty Geno Washington.

When the Ship Goes Down, with its promise of more to come from this London-based outfit, may yet emerge as one the most significant British blues releases of the year

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk