REFLECTION

Steamhammer's first album is one of their most bluesy efforts. Kieran White's voice resembles Ian Anderson's, making me think what would have happened if Mick Abrahams stayed with Jethro Tull for another album. Martin Pugh's guitar is fluid and is generously featured in short, bluesy solos. Rhythm guitarist Martin Quittenton, bassist Steve Davy and drummer Michael Rushton are discret and efficient through all this album, allowing full space to Pugh and White to shine. White and Quittenton wrote almost all songs, leaving space to B. B. King's "You'll Never Know" and Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours". A brief instrumental "Water" splitted in two parts, begins and ends the proceedings. IMO, the best songs are "Junior's Wailing" (their first single), "Lost You Too" (the most ambitious blues- rock piece in this album) and "When All Your Friends Are Gone" (with a superb, fierce guitar solo by Martin Pugh), along with the two blues covers mentioned above. I would give 4 star to this album, but only progheads which are also interested in blues-rock would welcome "Reflections" as an excellent additon to their collection.