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Review: Lifeline by Hybrid Blues

Hybrid Blues are one of those groups whose name perfectly describes their sound in a way that's both direct and slightly obscure too. Their music is certainly blues at it's heart, but this isn't raw, stripped back blues, it's a wonderous conglomeration of electric blues, folk, funk and soul. It's definitely a hybrid with many other styles, but in the name they leave those things deliberately unspecified. On their latest single Lifelife, Hybrid Blues bring all this together into a fabulously catchy, laid-back tune that is also soaked in the honesty and emotion that only the blues can provide.

As I've mentioned before, I was brought up on this type of blues, so hearing a band that reminds me of the artists so imbedded in my memory, like The Bluesbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, fills my heart with a unique affection. Hailing from New Zealand, Hybrid Blues have members with experience living and performing across the globe, and with this experience comes a particular worldly sense to their music. 

The first thing to note about Lifeline is how good the performances are. There's a definite balance needed in electric blues between exuberance and restraint, and Hybrid Blues hit that equilibrium perfectly. The bass playing and the drumming are both full of discrete nuances but they also stay locked into the groove no matter how funky things get. The guitar lines are especially well crafted, with the licks and solo being varied and interesting whilst still retaining that vital blues flavour. The lead vocals are brilliant throughout, full of effortless soul but with just the right amount of fragility, and they combine with the backing vocals magnificently in the chorus.

The song-writing is absolutely top-notch too. It's easy for blues to get stuck in the same old tropes over and over, and while this style of music will never sound wholly original due to it's nature, there are some wonderfully subtle moments in Lifeline that provide an exciting depth. The key changes are classy, and rather than just being a novelty they actually form an essential part of the song. There is a nice dynamism to the song-writing too, as the track steadily builds up it's instrumental layers on every transition.

Lifeline is a seriously addictive piece of electric blues which manages to evoke the classic sounds of the genre in a way which never feels overly vintage. There is a modernism to the song-writing too that really elevates Lifeline into much more that just a catchy blues tune. Hybrid Blues are hitting all the right notes, both literally and metaphorically.


Lifeline will be released on April 9th, and you can find out more about Hybrid Blues on their website.

You can also check them out on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify and Youtube.



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