The Blue Stones - Hidden Gems (2021) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

The band has released multiple songs as singles leading into their highly anticipated sophomore album release, Hidden Gems, in Spring 2021. The first of those is ‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ – a song, as Jafar explains, that very much serves as a mission statement for their renewed sense of confidence and newfound identity.

The band has released multiple songs as singles leading into their highly anticipated sophomore album release, Hidden Gems, in Spring 2021. The first of those is ‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ – a song, as Jafar explains, that very much serves as a mission statement for their renewed sense of confidence and newfound identity.

Although The Blue Stones were always more than a blues-rock duo, that’s especially true now on Hidden Gems.

"Does the world need another guitar-drums duo? That could be a fair question but not in the case of The Blue Stones. Having been shaken and stirred by the single announcing Hidden Gems, 'Spirit', my ears were a-ready for Hidden Gems. The album does not disappoint for a second.

The Blue Stones is a duo from Windsor, Ontario in Canada. Frontman Tarek Jafar and drummer Justin Tissier formed the band when they were in college. In 2018 the band released an album called 'Black Holes'. For Hidden Gems it worked with producer Paul Meany and according to the narrative coming with the album, Meany challenged the band to come up with better details in its songs, musically and lyrically. This resulted in an album with more than enough rough edges to remain an alternative rock band but it also contains more pop elements allowing for songs that are extremely pleasant to listen to. The result is that I'm thinking about The Black Keys regularly but that's only part of the story. In the rhythms of a song like 'One by One' more modern rhythms are presented, suggesting a 2021 album and not a 2011 one, to mention the year The Black Keys really went big. On a song like 'Careless' the duo even goes off the deep end as far as I'm concerned. This is Twenty One Pilots territory, i.e. Paul Meany's, and not mine. 'Careless' can't be further away from that single, that got me into The Blue Stones! Lucky for me, it's an exception.

All this results in an album that is impossible to play as a duo on stage. For that there are too much synths and other digital sounds on Hidden Gems, as well as overdubs. That is not my problem and I chose to take the album as it comes. There aren't any rules that say a duo has to be a duo on stage, nor that it has to play what can be heard on an album.

The Blue Stones, did the duo have lapis lazuli in mind when they named the band?, surely rocks out regularly. Sometimes colouring neatly between the lines and at times rocking wildly. Influences range from The White Stripes, of course, The Black Keys, Blood Red Shoes is in this mix, but also The Stone Roses in the lightest of ways. Just listen to that groove of 'LA Afterlife'. Another song that I would not expect from an alternative rock duo, but what a groove.

Overseeing the whole album, it may well be that alternative rock purists will have a hard time with Hidden Gems, but for me that one exception aside, this album is fine. 'Spirit' remains the highlight though. This is where The Black Keys meets Blood Red Shoes and the band totally rocks out. I love this song.

My advice, give the album a chance. It's worth it."

Tracklist:
1. Lights On (03:09)
2. Shakin' off the Rust (03:44)
3. One by One (04:11)
4. Careless (03:36)
5. Grim (05:04)
6. Let It Ride (03:37)
7. L.A. Afterlife (03:09)
8. Spirit (04:03)
9. Make This Easy (03:27)
10. Oceans (05:09)


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