Eight years since Poole put out a studio album of new material, and Post-Midnight Behaviour was worth the wait. He’s put a few live records out in that gap, but he’ll tell you himself those are just a snapshot of wherever he happened to be at the time. This one he actually sat with. Took his time, pushed the writing team hard, and by his own admission it shows. Oli Brown co-produced alongside Poole and Wayne Proctor. The same three wrote every song here with bassist Steve Amadeo, and Brown‘s all over the record too, backing vocals and Moog, with Bennett Holland bringing the keys, Hammond, piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes. Cut at House of Tone Mix Suite and Superfly Studios out in Nottinghamshire.
‘No Second Chances’ opens it, and it’s exactly the show of intent you want from track one. Strong guitar straight out the gate, drums locked in tight underneath it, building to a chorus that’s actually earned rather than just arriving. When the solo lands, it’s telling you what to expect over the next 40 minutes. No messing about, no filler intro. It just goes.
Then ‘Empty’, one of the earliest songs written for the record and you can hear why it shaped everything after it. Heavy bass line first, then that guitar melody lifts in and does exactly what it says on the tin, it transports you somewhere else. Poole‘s voice is captivating against it, sitting balanced even as things thicken up round it, and it closes out on a bit of distortion that actually earns its place rather than getting bolted on for effect. He’s said this is up there with the best things he’s written, and honestly, you can hear him lose himself in that solo. Not performing it. Living it.
‘Time Has No Mercy’ flips the mood on purpose. After weeks buried in heavier, darker material, this was the deliberate comedown, or comeup really, something lighter and more upbeat to break it up. Funny enough the whole song grew out of a riff that was originally just the outro. Bass and drums open it, guitar lifts it into something you physically can’t sit still through, chorus has a proper hook, and the solo is perfectly judged within the track rather than showing off. Poole leans a bit punk here, down-strummed power chords through the choruses, closer to that than his usual style. He could’ve gone bigger with the solo. Didn’t need to. That restraint is the whole point.
‘Living On Repeat (Buried In The Background)’ opens with a nice bit of funk before it turns grungy on you, and this time the solo does step forward properly, right in your face, only for Poole to yank it straight back the second he starts singing again. Knowing exactly when to hand a song back to the vocal is a skill plenty of guitarists never learn. His voice carries it right through to the end, and only once that’s done does the distortion close it out.
‘Summer Haze’ is the one where you shut your eyes and you’re on a porch somewhere on the West Coast, bourbon in hand, watching the sun go down. Well composed, unhurried, exactly as laid back as it needs to be. Flip that image though and it works just as well in an arena, lighters up, crowd swaying to a melody built to carry that far. Good, solid songwriting, plain and simple.
Then the two versions of ‘Runaway Souls’, featuring Elles Bailey, one mid-album, the radio edit closing things out. Both gritty, both beautifully produced, and Bailey and Poole genuinely complement each other rather than just trading lines. The grit’s coming from Poole‘s guitar tone, not from her roughening anything up, her voice rides right on top of it. There’s an atmosphere in this one that pulls you somewhere else entirely, a proper road song, the kind that wouldn’t feel out of place soundtracking Sons of Anarchy. Feels like a hit to me.
‘Searching’ slows things down, mellow, well produced like everything else on here. The solo comes in without ever going over the top for a track this understated, pulls you in, mellows back out again, and finishes with just Poole and his guitar. ‘Nothing To You’ brings the funk back and you can practically hear him enjoying himself recording it. Sounds like it’s heading towards a ballad early on, then he comes in with a heavy riff that changes the whole mood on a dime.
‘Start Of The End’ closes the main body of the record properly, a strong, well composed track with an outstanding mix, tone crisp and fresh throughout. That guitar solo has a distinctive feel to it. Not a copy of anyone, but there’s a vibe running through it that brings Pink Floyd to mind, that same feel for space and atmosphere over notes for their own sake.
Post-Midnight Behaviour does more than reward a listen, it makes you want to see this played live. Given the sheer number of shows Poole‘s clocked up over the years, this should translate to the stage without missing a beat. Expect to dance, and expect to walk out humming half of it. Personally I think this is a definitive record for him, the culmination of years grafting on the road, and it might just be his defining moment. As a musician myself, I’m genuinely curious how it transposes live, that’s always the real test. From what’s on this record though, I think Ben‘s got a hit.
Full Tracklist
- No Second Chances (5:42)
- Empty (5:57)
- Time Has No Mercy (3:36)
- Living On Repeat (Buried In The Background) (4:13)
- Summer Haze (4:40)
- Runaway Souls (featuring Elles Bailey) (4:22)
- Searching (5:30)
- Nothing To You (3:50)
- Start Of The End (5:26)
- Runaway Souls (featuring Elles Bailey) (Radio Version) (4:12)
Ben Poole‘s new album, Post-Midnight Behaviour, is released by Gypsy Soul Records on 25 September. He tours the UK from 31 October to 21 November.
Biography
Ben Poole is an internationally acclaimed force in blues rock. Recognised by multiple publications as one of the world’s leading blues guitarists, he has been cited by Guitar World alongside artists including Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Joe Bonamassa.
He has also been named among the world’s top 15 blues guitarists by Total Guitar and Music Radar.
Ben has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and earned praise from guitar greats including Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Richie Kotzen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Philip Sayce. He is widely regarded as one of the standout artists on the international blues-rock circuit.
