Album Review:BUCK AND EVANS: WRITE A BETTER DAY

The name Chris Buck is probably not etched into many peoples brain yet and I admit I was unfamiliar with it but then around a year ago his name popped up when Guns and Roses guitarist Slash mentioned his name saying he was a big fan.

I checked him out finding that he has a band with lead vocalist and keyboardist Sally Ann Evans, both having played with Slash on stage. So there it was, my discovery of Buck and Evans. 

Along with bassist Dominic Hill and AC/DC stand in drummer Bob Richards they have been entertaining crowds for a few years now,  their blues rock sound, hugely ear worming songs and soulful sound they have gathered accolades from none other than Bernie Marsden and Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith.

Having comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, and you can definitely hear why especially on the first song SLOW TRAIN, a melodic track infused with lots of soul. You can already hear the power of Sally’s voice and the harmonies are on point. The track has received extensive airplay and rightly so.
CHANGE is a piano ballad where both Chris and Sally share the vocals, a love song with wonderful harmonics and the vocal chemistry between the two of them is just beautiful.

The next two songs SUNRISE and SINKING are just incredible, both of them showcase not only the powerful vocal of Sally but how much soul she has in her voice too.

The tracks display why Chris is so admired as a guitarist: his work on these numbers are just tremendous.
Chris has been quoted as saying “We do it like we do it live”, and the deeper you get into this album it does feel like a live performance, all be it without the crowd.

Songs like the dreamy BACK TO YESTERDAY with the funky backbeat, TRAIL OF TEARS where the rhythm sections certainly come into their own.

And Chris’s tour de force on AIN’T NO MOONLIGHT: blues guitar at its best, with Sally’s keys funking it up. 

The Motown sound of GOING HOME, conveys his love of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke with heavy influences throughout.

This album is a collection of blues, funk/rock/soul it’s got it all, and if this is a glimpse into how they sound, I look forward to seeing them play live somewhere.

 Track listing. 01 -Slow Train, 02 Change, 03 Sunrise,
04 Sinking, 05 Common Ground, 06 Back to Yesterday,
07 Fix You, 08 Trail of Tears, 09 Aint No Moonlight,
10 Going Home, 11 One Four.
Review by Dave Martin @masterofmetal58 on Twitter
Writing for Metal Planet Music