Bad Touch Shake A Leg CD Review

Thursday, September 06, 2018

Bad Touch Shake A Leg CD Review

Fast rising UK rockers Bad Touch return with album number 3 Shake A Leg released worldwide on the 5th of October their first with Marshall Records.

I have been a fan since day one after seeing them support Tyketto just after the release of their debut cd Half Way Home and with 2016's Truth Be Told album and their live show prowess Bad Touch are ready to go for the stars with album number 3.

“Shake A Leg” was recorded in Bad Touch’s home county of Norfolk at Orange Tree Studios. Engineered, produced and mixed by Andy Hodgson and was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

Led by charismatic and loud of shirt front man and lead vocalist Stevie Westwood Shake A Leg consist's of 13 songs of Bad Touch's rock n'roll musings full of riffs to make you move and choruses full of hooks and melodies to die for.

They seem to have decided to make the songs short sharp all killer no filler with only one past the 4 minute mark and one past 5 and 5 under 3 minutes.Get in show your stuff get out!!

Lift Your Head Up is a wonderful opener all swinging groove and attitude and big guitar riff with smiling faces at the live shows as Stevie implores in the chorus listen to me he has something to say and he will tell us all for free. It will go down a storm in the live setting as a show opener.

Hammer Falls has an atmospheric guitar strummed intro that picks up and then down for the verse and then back up for the big chorus.Michael Bailey on bass and George Drewry on drums are the rock solid back line leaving Rob Glendinning and Daniel Seekings on guitars to lay down another groove laden riff and you can imagine Stevie shaking his hips on the stage edge!!

Too Many Times is mid tempo stomper with 2 guitar riffs and George driving the song to the whoa whoa chorus and a mid song break down before Rob's just so guitar solo.

Dressed To Kill has a stop start guitar riff with Stevie filling in the gaps vocally in the verse before all join in at the chorus.Similar second verse with George now helping on filling the gaps!!Another mid song break down shows the band's sense of dynamics and as it builds into the chorus again it sounds more powerful for the light and shade used.

Skyman is the first single and is full of groove and Stevie's slightly fuzzy vocal delivery on the chorus.The dynamics on the song again show a growing maturity in their writing with it all building to the chorus.

I Belong takes the pace down with a mid tempo number with slide guitar and Stevie's slower vocal delivery.

Show Me What It Means is the best track on the album.One to play again and again with a big guitar riff and rhythm team master class and superb chorus built for stadium sing along's.Stevie vocal is full of power and melodic intent.Video required for mass rotation.

Tussle and Believe In Me are both mid tempo stompers of the highest order with groove laden choruses and the band interplay exemplary.

Movin' On Up has a stop start guitar riff and big chorus with backing vocals on this occasion.

Slow Tempest starts on an acoustic guitar strum and Stevie's impassioned melodic vocal.The mid song guitar solo is short and sharp and at 4 minutes it explodes on Stevie's sunny day refrain and Rob takes us to the end with an extended bluesy guitar solo.Another built for the live show and a lengthy band work out.

Bury Me sees an acoustic and Stevie number with the vocal superb and giving him a chance to stretch himself and a beautiful ending tothe album.

Bad Touch continue to grow and develop into one of the UK's most promising new band's and for me this is another step towards the big time and that's the exciting part.
We can only marvel at what they will produce as time goes on.