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Blitz Vega, the band helmed by The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke and Kav Sandhu of Blissful Mondays, fashioned in 2016 and ended when Rourke died from pancreatic most cancers in 2023. He was 59. The band’s lone album, “Northern Gentleman,” has lastly been launched — 10 tracks largely written and recorded earlier than Rourke’s loss of life, the swan music to his spectacular profession.
For all the duo’s efforts, nevertheless, that is actually staid stuff. It borrows some components from every man’s musical heyday however breathes no new life into their craft. These are arid, rock-by-numbers songs with little or no private illumination to gas them.
The primary three tracks have the zeal of an album that might come pre-installed on the latest iPhone. A non-threatening, formless wall of guitar, delivered at medium tempo as Sandhu sings “I wanna spend my time with you/Oh child, oh child,” on the music “Disconnected.” It’s delicate rock, and undemanding.
Nothing will get terribly good till “Love Metropolis.” For all its repetitiveness, the music quickens the heartbeat and introduces a rhythmic depth as Sandhu sings of the will for love and Rourke tears by means of bass strains. “Go the Gun” throws in a number of retro vinyl scratches to kick issues off, however sputters from there regardless of Rourke’s punchy bass work.
In a press launch for the album, Sandhu remembers Rourke fondly. “Each music tells a narrative and personally takes me again to a reminiscence recording that music, the drive to the studio. That dialog or no matter occurred surrounding the recording session,” the singer wrote. “I hear his voice in my head, replaying every thing we talked about after we have been recording the music. I see his face smiling at me.”
The duo was technically able to an album much more compelling than “Northern Gentleman.” The combo is on level and the sonic energy is there. Maybe Rourke and Sandhu simply weren’t wild sufficient anymore and unpredictability is the lifeblood of their rock.
Rourke shall be remembered fondly for his work with The Smiths, however hardly in any respect for this posthumous launch. ___
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