Written By Kevin McSweeney
It turns out, to my slight disappointment, that this isn’t Mike Balls of Goldie Lookin’ Chain launching a hard rock side project. That really would have been something to savour.
Instead, it’s Bournemouth-based band Mikey Ball and The Company’s sophomore album, three years on from their debut full-length release, Through The Night.
Keep The Fire Burning was released independently on September 24th, but how sumptuous a second album from the South Coast dwellers is it? In this Keep The Fire Burning album review, we’re going through it track by track in the customary Metal Lair style to find out.
Keep The Fire Burning Album Review: Mikey Ball and The Company Track by Track
Warning Signs
I’m not noticing any actual warning signs here. Instead, the lead single gives us a meaty opening riff that would easily pass the Beavis and Butthead air guitar test.
It is soon accompanied by a solid rhythm section indulging in slight syncopation. Ball’s vocal delivery is smoky and slightly raspy, but somewhat gentler than I expected. He reminds me a little of Bryan Adams.
The verse is engaging, and the chorus is catchy. It loses its way a little in the middle section but makes up for it with strong harmonies at the end. Not a bad start to proceedings at all!
Pressure
The introductory quarter notes on the china cymbal suggest this song might be a little heavier than its predecessor. Don’t you threaten me with a good time, boys! This is followed up with a riff that isn’t a million miles from Mötley Crüe’s Shout at The Devil.
Ball’s soulful rasp remains subdued. There’s some lavish lead guitar work on the chorus that embellishes it nicely.
It has the anthemic quality of Oasis at their best. The solo is exquisite! Bluesy and languid in the best possible way; it could have come from the fabled frets of Joe Perry. I thoroughly enjoyed this track.
Red Shoes
I had wondered if this might be a cover of the similarly-titled song by Kate Bush. She’s a truly great artist who is always worth covering – check out China Drum’s highly entertaining punk rock version of Wuthering Heights if you don’t believe me.
Instead, it starts off sounding like Bowling For Soup in their less punky moments. It’s a similar vibe to Ohio (Come Back to Texas) by the men from Wichita Falls, albeit with a more earnest chorus.
We get a hint of the Texan band’s signature harmonies in the middle eight. I can’t say I’m tremendously enamoured with the key change towards the end, but that aside, it’s a strong song with good single potential.
No Time To Lose
Is that a slight tinge of country that I detect? I’m half expecting Mikey to start singing about how he’s a cowboy riding a steel horse. He defies my expectations, and thank goodness for that.
Instead, we get a subdued, almost ballad-like verse that is juxtaposed with an unexpected burst of speed and dynamism in the chorus. I appreciated the way it wrong-footed me.
I don’t know if they’re threatening to go full-on Blues Brothers with their insistence that we all need somebody – I mean, it’s just not practical, is it? – or whether they’re veering into Brimful of Asha territory and just about managing not to mention bosoms being used for pillows, but either way, they think better of it and opt for another splendid solo instead.
Good choice, chaps! They then return to the business of all needing somebody for the ending. Ah well, it’ll make for a good singalong in a live setting, I suppose.
Long Gone Love
This sounds like a David Gray song title, and that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad road to go down (I always liked the Sail Away video. It was set mid-piss up, with Gray initially singing over a pint of Guinness. Legend!)
The upbeat groove with the intricate hi-hat work and palm-muted 1980s rock riff that greets us as the song roars into life is far-removed from the Seanchaí of Sale, however.
At this point in our Keep The Fire Burning album review, the old-school hard rock influences are coming firmly to the fore.
This is perhaps the most “metal” the band gets, with the chugging riff in the chorus and the old-school influences coming to the fore.
The chorus is an absolute doozy! It’s anthemic – so much so that I could certainly imagine a pumped-up crowd roaring it out en masse.
The solo is pure 1980s, to the point where I could envision it being played on a bubblegum pink BC Rich by a man with a mullet on a Californian or Floridian beach. It then slows to a stadium-worthy coda, and once again, I picture that pumped-up crowd roaring along.
Queen of Hearts
There’s a gentle, folksy feel to this one, with its plucked chords on acoustic guitar. It probably suits Ball’s voice the best of all the tracks on this album.
Living in South Devon, I can certainly relate to the opening lines about the silence falling over a seaside town post-summer, and the sense of melancholy the image conveys. We’re at that time of year, after all.
There’s some poignant images serving as a metaphor for the loss of youth and the sense of dreams having turned to disappointment. I can probably relate to that too. It makes me all the more sad that I don’t have a lyric sheet, as I’m probably missing out on some good stuff.
It’s a lovely song, and it functions as a less-depressing version of something like Del Amitri’s Nothing Ever Happens. Metal Lair wouldn’t ordinarily try to persuade anyone to dispense with the distortion pedals, but I hope we get more of this from them in future. It suits them.
Patron Saint of The Broken Hearted
I often wondered what became of the patron saint of the broken hearted, who had love that’s now departed. We depart from this album with a relatively long and epic track that starts off with a 1970s rock riff that should come as no surprise, given the fact that they cite Thin Lizzy as a major influence.
It’s not a million miles from The Eagles, actually, but with Bryan Adams on vocals, of course. The chorus is lively, with some pleasant vocal harmonies.
The solo is relatively rudimentary, bearing in mind the chops that were displayed earlier in the album, but no less effective for it. I commend the discipline shown in this regard. There’s no shredding simply for the sake of it.
I’m going to contradict that point now by noting that this song could have been done and dusted in four minutes, but they’ve added a lengthy coda as a kind of gazebo at the end of it. They had stuck to highly conventional song structures up until now.
I was advised in the press release that “…a performance-first approach defines the record, capturing the energy and immediacy of their live shows.” This has clearly been added to provide a rousing moment in the live arena, and I have no issue with that.
Ultimately, this Keep The Fire Burning album review finds Mikey Ball and The Company leaning confidently into melodic hard rock, bluesy guitar work, big choruses and a distinctly old-school sense of showmanship.
It provides a strong statement of who they are as a band, and a rousing finish to an album that, all in all, has been thoroughly good company.
Metal Lair awards Keep The Fire Burning by Mikey Ball and The Company four devil horns out of five.
Tracklisting:
1. Warning Signs
2. Pressure
3. Red Shoes
4. No Time To Lose
5. Long Gone Love
6. Queen of Hearts
7. Patron Saint of The Broken Hearted
Line-Up
Mikey Ball: Vocals and Lead Guitar
Dom Griffiths: Rhythm Guitar and Backing Vocals
Gerard Guminski: Bass
Sam Hurst: Drums and Backing Vocals
Mikey Ball and The Company Online:
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
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