BUTLER, BLAKE & GRANT - Butler, Blake and Grant

With three guitars (two acoustics and a red Gibson 355) and a set of songs as simple and unassuming as they are pleasant, here's a rather unexpected trio that, despite hailing from Scotland and England, delivers a debut steeped in distinctly American sonorities.

Bernard Butler of Suede, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and James Grant, former leader of Love And Money, cast themselves as modern-day Crosby, Stills & Nash, with a set of songs that, without altering the style of the three guitarists, highlights the chance and unexpected synergy they discovered during an informal gig, born purely from the pleasure of playing together.

Combining scraps and fragments that Norman Blake had always deemed unsuitable for Teenage Fanclub, some songs written by James Grant in the space of a few hours, and a scattered cluster of new and old ideas gathered by a Bernard Butler in full creative euphoria following his return to the spotlight as a solo artist with "Good Grief" (released 25 years after his penultimate "Friends And Lovers"), the three artists let notes and arpeggios flow with a naturalness that seduces from the very first moments, thanks to the perfect interlocking of voices and guitars on "Bring An End".

The rest of the album is no less compelling, from a psych-folk ballad that channels the Byrds through the inspired, watchful eye of James Grant ("One And One Is Two"), to songs that strengthen the bond between britpop and American music ("The 90's"), to country-folk melodies with the swagger of a classic, performed with a choral quality that leaves its mark and once again recalls CS&N ("The Writing's On The Wall").

Raising the adrenaline further are Grant's scratchy folk-soul on "Girl With A Little Black Number", the ever-effective celtic-soul charm of "The Old Mortality", and the poetic foray into Laurel Canyon territory with "Seemed She Always Knew" (a tribute to Joni Mitchell).

"Butler, Blake & Grant" is a project fueled by passion and talent, free of unnecessary embellishments or false tricks, a frank and honest record. These ten songs have body, soul and feet to stand on, able to withstand the fleeting appeal that caresses so much contemporary pop music. A pleasant surprise.

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24/05/2025