Bad Touch Kiss The Sky cd review


2020 a year none of us will forget as here in lockdown for those of us who live for the thrill of the live show fear just when we will get to see our favourite bands back on the boards.

Thankfully new music is being created and June the 19th sees one of the UK's brightest hopes Bad Touch release their highly anticipated fourth studio album “Kiss The Sky” that was recorded, produced and mixed by Nick Brine at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. The album was mastered by Pete Maher

Bad Touch are road warriors and with "Kiss The Sky" they have managed to get that live studio feel they desired and with the songs that were initially written in their practice studio "The Cabin" in Norfolk where the band feels most comfortable and can focus on the songs without outside world interference.

Stevie Westwood on vocals says we play feel-good rock n roll for the soul and he isn't wrong with this opus a foot tapping head knocking body grooving monster that gets better and better with every play full of melodies, riffs and choruses built for stadiums.

12 tracks with an added bonus cut for the CD but more on that later and none longer than 4 minutes and 13 seconds and they don't waste a single one of them.

"Come A Little Closer" will be a great show opener with its insistent drum track from George Drewry and the rollicking stop start guitar riff from Daniel Seekings and Rob Glendinning and Michael Bailey on bass shining through thanks to the great production from Nick Brine. Great slide guitar solo from Rob and Stevie's chorus vocal melody a joy. Track one done and we are covered in sweat as our feet haven't stopped moving and we are grinning from ear to ear.

"I Get High" continues the pace with a stop start bluesy guitar riff and a real swagger and attitude and wonderful female backing vocals on the chorus add a new touch to the proceedings.

"Let Go" will be another live favourite with a low slung guitar riff and big chorus that is all built on George and Michael's drum and bass rhythm and love the mid song break down before Rob's just so guitar solo kicks in. Stevie holds some terrific vocal notes at the song end showing off his full range to its max.

"Strut" does just that and I can just see Stevie doing his thing stage front with the song all feel and attitude and big chorus with some superb Rob guitar ad lib soloing at the end of the chorus and the picked guitar solo is stunning.

"I've Got The Music In Me" and yes, it is a cover of the Kiki Dee number brought rocking and screaming into the 2020's with more female backing vocals in the mix and played live and in your face and at max pace with George driving it to places it has never experienced before.

"Can You Save Me" slows the pace with a funky picked guitar melody and builds up to a great chorus with Stevie again holding onto notes and the picked guitar continues under and around Rob's electric solo that works wonderfully well.

The title track is a head banging rocker with a huge guitar riff that stop starts until all joining in on the chorus alongside the vocals and a musical crescendo and more female backing vocals with their live show prowess there for all to see. Brilliant. 

"See You Again" is a ballad written in dedication to and for the loss of one of the band member's fathers recently. Heartfelt and with very moving lyrics that anyone who has suffered that loss will get passionately with Stevie's vocal line dripping in emotion.

With piano and strings embellishing the song it is taken to even greater heights by Rob's picked guitar solo.

"Before I Die" sees the rock back with Georges groove again driving the song which sees at least 2 main guitar riffs with the production working seamlessly and another sure-fire live favourite in the years to come.

"Read All About It" is a mid-paced number with a laid-back feel with acoustic interludes and Stevie's vocal full of feeling and tone and Rob shows off a different style in his guitar solo.

"Too Much Of A Good Thing" is a feel-good rocker with lots of female backing vocals and a duel guitar solo and the mid song breakdown is built for audience participation.

"Sun And The Moon" has a lengthy guitar riff that morphs into another before it all dips for the first verse before crashing in with riff number 3 for the pre chorus.

Love the light and shade with the second verse again being reigned in before we are back off with riff number 3 and a great chorus too. A Hammond solo is thrown in too just because they can.

Now for the bonus track on cd and download and what a way to end the album.

"Something About Your Kiss" will have you hitting repeat time and time again as I did.

Building from a picked acoustic strum and Stevie's impassioned vocal delivery for 2 verses and chorus until George's drum kicks in and Rob then solo's on his own and in and under Stevie's vocal chorus before we are back with the acoustic in the outro.The band say the song was influenced by Bad Company's "Seagull" with a Fleetwood Mac vibe and who am I to argue.

A simply stunning way to end the album with a song that shows the band's maturity in song-writing and performing is reaching new heights.

Bad Touch with "Kiss The Sky" are reaching for the sky and reaching it with ease.

We should all thank our lucky stars that not even Covid 19 can stop rock & roll being lovingly crafted and created for our listening pleasure.

Wonderful.



Photo Credit: © Joby Sessions


Bad Touch’s new album “Kiss The Sky” is released by Marshall Records on June 19th. Pre-order the album from www.badtouchkissthesky.com



Here's hoping we are able to see Bad Touch and Piston out on the road in the autumn for their re scheduled UK Tour. 


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