The False Poets FALSE POETS

The False Poets
The False Poets
Nice Mind Records

Red Raw British Rhythm n Blues For the New Nuggets Generation.

If you remember a couple of weeks ago I reviewed an album of Irish Folk inspired music by a band called The Dicey Rileys, from Chester le Street; which is a brisk walk on a Summer’s day from my own home.
Happy with the outcome, Chris Riley has got back in touch with the debut album from his other Beat Combo; The False Poets …… purveyors of red hot R&B …… that’s ‘proper British R&B’ in the style of the Yardbirds and The Dr Feelgood’; or for our American friends ‘Nuggets era garage bands’ NOT the hippitty-hoppitty stuff on the wireless today. btw.
Apart from Chris’s handwritten letter outlining the *heartbreaking reasons for the album not getting recorded in either 2012 or 2018, when the band first got together and later re-assembled; I had no idea what to exactly expect; so ………. the raw energy from opening track Stick or Twist (metaphorically) blew my socks right off!
Hank B Marvinesque geetar, a hook that will reel you in like a salmon and a chorus that will probably only resonate with card players from the North East has had me dancing in the office at least twice.
To all intents and purposes this is the type of music I grew up seeing in the mid 70’s across the North East and I know spawned a zillion bands in London during the Pub Rock boom too ……. what’s not to like about frantic Bluesy love songs like She Was My Woman and A Girl I Know? Absolutely nothing; that’s what!
It’s no real issue for me, but the current resurgence in Chicago Blues across the UK seems to have a lot of bands replicating the Great and the Mighty note for note; whereas The False Poets take that template, filter it through the 60’s Blues Boom and then through Riley’s distinctive singing style and ‘that’ Hank Marvin style guitar playing really seperate them from the herd; plus they write their own songs!
What songs they are too ……. Call The Doctor is a full on foot to the floor race with the Devil, Stomper is exactly what it says on the label and The Mad Machine is a floor filler, if ever I’ve heard one ……. shake that money maker!
There’s also a lovely commercial aspect to quite a few of these songs too; which might appeal to Tom Robinson or local legend Nicky Robb, who shouldn’t be afraid to play songs like You Are The Way or the low down groove of What’s It All About?
Then there is Tell Tale Heart which just about shades it from Stick or Twist as my Favourite Song here; great lyrics, heart crushing story and a tune that the Flamin’ Groovies would have been proud to call their own.
:0
An album hasn’t made me this excited since I first heard The Strypes 10 years ago; and I can’t wait to see The False Poets play live in somewhere hot n sweaty sometime soon.
Remember where you read it first!

Released November 2019

https://www.facebook.com/TheFalsePoets/
https://nicemindrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-false-poets