I’ve had this album sat here for ages, but so little time to dig through the upcoming releases. Realising that release day was looming, I whacked it on for a quick listen… and was transported back to the 90s.
Jizzy has one of the most recognisable voices in rock music. Nobody sounds quite like him and when those pipes open up you know what kind of music you’re in for. Love/Hate have quite the history, and Jizzy has kept the name alive for some time now. The new material fits perfectly with the classic releases which came out so long ago they make me realise how damn old I am. Every song on Hell, Ca rocks as much as the older material, though I’d say there’s probably a more deep rooted blues sound through the album than I remember there being in Black Out or Wasted. Not a bad thing and it shows that much as Jizzy is keeping the sound recognisable, he’s not afraid to tweak things here and there.
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Recent single “Gonna Take You Higher” (check it below) is a perfect example. It kicks in like it could be a ballad, but rapidly turns into a southern groover. Jizzy’s vocals pull the guitars, the bass line and the drums together. There are so many little bits in here that just feel like a thirty year old classic track. It counterpoints album opener “One Hot Minute” which blasts past in high gear, angsty near-ballad “Last Chance” and the staccato and sleazy “Wanna Be Somebody”.
I’m sure there is a generation (or two) out there who haven’t heard of either Love/Hate or Jizzy himself. Still playing small venues, but most importantly still playing, it’s great to hear new music coming out which can be enjoyed in these intimate settings for fans old – and hopefully fans new. The first time I saw Love/Hate was at Newcastle Riverside (the original one with the pillars and a ceiling that sweated) when they only had enough material for a 60-minute set. Listening to Hell, Ca (the title itself a reference to that first classic album) is like a blast from the past, mixed with some fresh air.
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Header image by Gary Cooper
Hell, Ca is out on March 11th
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Jizzy Pearl’s Love Hate: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
