‘Now I’m gonna take a risk, to make up for the ones I’ve missed’.
Today I have the honour of reviewing the debut album of a band I have had the enormous pleasure of working with over the years. My friends Black Water Fiend, have slogged it out, working profusely despite numerous setbacks, and what seemed like they were living on ‘Borrowed Time’ to finally secure a release date.
The duo of Danny Starkey – vocals and guitar and Sam Martin – lead guitar and backing vocals had taken on the Herculean task of writing and recording an album, playing all the bass and drum parts too. Jay Shredder was sitting pretty in the producer’s chair while imparting his bass and piano skills too. Kurt Sidwell has joined the band on drums, although he is not on this album. This all amounts to dedication and the promise of a genuine, original body of work that is exactly what the artist dreamed of. Songwriters are, in essence, storytellers and it is with this in mind, that we switch off the house lights and traverse the darkest recesses of our lives. The introduction is a genteel, cultured piece, as ‘Everything Goes Dark’ it belies the hurt that follows, we are cornered. We are aware of our mistakes, our weaknesses and where we stand between mercy and cruelty. The chugging old school frets are studded throughout this record, they are the backbone that stabilises and ensures that you are a captive audience. You will find it on ‘Bring The Fire’ a tribal call, a warning that each of us will pay our dues, it would be remiss of us to underestimate anything at this juncture.
The acoustic beginning of ‘Looking For A Reason’ is demonstrative of the sublime vocal talent of Danny, his voice is thoughtful, paced and resolute. Each word, each note is instinctive without being impulsive, each emotion is measured and then delivered accordingly. At 2.01 the song takes on a life of its own, as you look for a reason to walk out that front door. Grief comes to us in many guises, with ‘Not You’ I am reminded of ‘Forget Me Not’ by Hot Milk, where our loved ones call to us from the void they have left behind. Lyrics aside, I love the whole sound of the album, I could quite happily sit and listen to it as an instrumental. There are elegant and graceful harmonies found in ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Wish You Well’ which are significant and articulate the meaning adequately. There is a marked ascendancy, incumbent on the proficiency and intelligence of the track list and the order in which it is presented. A benchmark debut, remarkable in its wisdom and it responds perfectly to the people who say rock is dead.
It’s time for these borrowers to come out of hiding and let the world see them in all their glory. As you might have guessed I have been drinking the black water by the bucketful, these fiendish fellas have the knowledge, the presence of mind and the motivation to keep them motoring. We cross the finish line with ‘Protect You’ another booming slice of guitar and bass intricacies that reverberate around our shaky carcasses. Huge congratulations on an album that was a trial by fire, reflected in the broken hourglass, the sands of time have slipped away and the needle-like shards glint in the scorching sun. With an album launch show scheduled for 12th July at The Arches Venue, in Coventry, their hometown and the irrepressible Benji Webbe performing a stellar DJ set afterwards, we are celebrating in style. Sound the sirens, stand by your beds, Black Water Fiend have arrived.
Azra Pathan
Black Water Fiend – Borrowed Time out 19th July