Raw and abrasive, rocking, soulful and bluesy as hell, Izzie Caravan’s new music finally sees the light of day. And it proves well worth the wait Blues-rockers Izzie’s Caravan burst onto the scene, Christmas Day 2019, with their debut EP, “Leo’s Guitar”. During the next 9 months, the trio continued to release a prolific amount of music, including 2 more EPs, “Zephyrs” and “On The Pull”, and 2 additional singles making waves on the iTunes charts. Led by the enigmatic guitarist known only as “Izzie,” they continued working on their album “Blow The Lid”. Their momentum seemed unhindered, until the pandemic hit the world.
Now Izzie’s Caravan is back from limbo with the first cuts from the album, including the title track “Blow The Lid”. It’s a loose, live sort of track, characterized by a raw urgency and an anarchic spirit, and it’s all the better for that. It’s the sound of musicians pouring their energy into what they love, rather than the sound of a band trying to meet a contractual obligation for a record company. The drums and bass roll and bang in a rapturous groove while the guitars squeal behind the sandpaper rasp of the vocals.
No opportunity is missed when it comes to demonstrating virtuosity. “Blow The Lid” shows the band at their full-tilt peak, with a bluesy romp that dips its toes into prog rock water. When you seriously consider it, Izzie’s Caravan play a brand of blues and rock ‘n roll that is not unique to them, but has existed for decades. So just what is it about Izzie’s Caravan that in actuality puts them in a class above so many others?
So I slapped on “Return To Midway”, and with that rocking in the background, the answer became more apparent. Izzie’s Caravan is a technically proficient, and confident band. They don’t bashfully kick around a number of styles and techniques.
When they set out to record a track, they do it. And do it with gusto. Izzie’s Caravan is a band that works with the bare essentials of rock ‘n roll, transforming it into something totally intoxicating, and you can hear it on “Stick It Ya” and yet again on “RoadKill Rita”.
These tracks are full on sound-wise and one does get the feeling when listening to it that you could wear earplugs and still hear enough of the music. It is that potent. To the modern-day listener, the 5-plus minutes of “Blow The Lid” and “Return To Midway”, is about 4 minutes too much, but then again the complexity of Izzie’s Caravan music stems from an era that required a little more concentration than it takes to read a tweet.
ABOUT IZZIE’S CARAVAN: Izzie started his musical journey by forming a 3-piece band in 2004. The Deep Impactors included two future (and now former) members of the Caravan, Sim and Ray. After becoming disillusioned by the music industry, Izzie took a decades-long respite from guitar, eventually returning to the instrument he loved, just a few years ago. Referring to himself as a “poor man’s Buddy Guy or Lightnin’ Hopkins,” Izzie cites bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith as early influences, followed by later guitarists like Izzy Stradlin and John Frusciante. But, it was the blues of Stevie Ray, Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, and of course, Buddy Guy, that inspired Izzie’s return to music.
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