After two EPs, North Carolina rock band Pröwess are about to release a powerful 70’s centric rock album called Blacktop Therapy. (Note the umlaut, which I guess, is for effect a la BOC rather than a pronunciation guide as, in German it would mean the ‘o’ is pronounced ‘ay’ which makes sense for Mayterhead!) They call their approach ‘high energy classic rock’ and it is very difficult to argue with that as they deliver some 70’s tinged, southern(ish) rock with strong riffs and sing-a-long choruses.
Opening with the title track, they tick all the boxes with catchiness and a short but good guitar solo. Think Blackfoot (Hensley era) with extra heft. ‘Lookin’ For A Bullet’ is class and classy rock and roll that soon has you joining in on air guitar and drums. ‘Every Right’ is Bon era AccaDacca and has all the expected ingredients performed well. ‘Tombstone Blue’ has a brilliant intro that builds into a song of the sort that Mr Jovi keeps failing to write. ‘Welcome Home’ is less than three minutes but has a lot crammed in as it rocks along and again gets you joining in. Final track, ‘All Down Hill’ is heralded with neat drum patterns and becomes an infectious, more modern, Michael Monroe style of rock, which is no bad thing… chuck in some twin guitar interplay and it gets better every listen.
No, this doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the party but there is definitely a party going on and it draws you in and they are way better than many bands ploughing a similar furrow out there. It’s an album I will return to regularly when I want to partake in a raucous get together.
