Presley Johnson-Anita’s Last Dance

Presley Johnson are a Northampton based four-piece who mix a combination of blues, country, folk and 60′s influenced rock to create a rootsy, retro sound that has already found mass appeal on the live circuit.

The band released their debut self-titled album back in 2011 and since then they played a number of high profile shows across their native East Midlands as well as branching out into London and strangely enough Marburg over in Germany. Presley Johnson are currently in the process of recording their second album, with new single, Anita’s Last Dance, the first taster of the forthcoming release.

Anita’s Last Dance is a timeless rootsy mellow rock number complete with acoustic guitars, tight rhythmic patterns, contagious keyboards and a wonderful use of vocal harmonies that help the track build into a Beatles-esque sing-a-long. The track is backed with the equally impressive, yet rowdier My Muse, a blustery bluesy number that see’s the band flex their muscles and cut loose a little whilst retaining the aforementioned wall of vocal harmonies.

My copy of the single (or is it an album) also contained a handful of untitled numbers, the first of which (possibly called Drinking Alone) is a stripped back folky number, the following number is a brilliant taut, driving rocker full of bombastic drums, frenzied riffs and almost howled vocals. Josie B (?) is a delightful Small Faces (Ogden’s Nut Flake era) influenced, eccentric little number complete with pounded piano and a near theatrical vocal delivery. Next up is a track quite possibly entitled Hazy Days, which turns out to be a catchy indie rocker complete with a lovely hum along vocal refrain and a punchy chorus, elsewhere the band offer up a piano led ballad, as well as a dark brooding rock indie number (that brings to mind The Doors) showcasing the widescreen vision of the band.

I get the impression that the untitled tracks on here are lifted from the band’s debut album and if that does prove to be the case, I can highly recommend grabbing hold of a copy (it sounds like something of an unhearalded classic) along with the brand new single, Anita’s Last Dance, Presley Johnson weave a myriad of influences to create a glorious, diverse take on the rock n’ roll genre, bringing to mind many of the greats, whilst retaining their own identity.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

http://www.presleyjohnson.co.uk/