Rock and Roll with a side of Soul. That’s the best short description for The BellRays. Fronted by the intense voice of Lisa Kekaula and the heavy guitar riffs of Bob Vennum, the group resembles Led Zeppelin fronted by Aretha Franklin. Not since the days of Vernon Reid and Living Colour have I heard such a sweet mix of rock energy with R&B rooted vocals. “Hard, Sweet and Sticky” is good title for this album as the styles veer from the heavy rock of “Infection” to the sweet folk soul of “Footprint on the Water.” It even approaches the punk of MC5 on “Psychotic Hate Man” and driving riffs on “Coming Down” evoke AC/DC with Lisa’s vocals matching the manic guitar theatrics. The softer R&B pop tunes ( “Blue Against the Sky” )come out by the middle of the album and are a welcome break from the ferocious rock of the earlier half of the album. These gentler songs don’t have the staying power or hooks of the rock numbers, but they are beautifully executed, as “Wedding Bells” really belongs on a jazz album. But that aside, their brand of rock ‘n’ soul will get the attention and respect of rock ‘n’ roll fans, bands, and critics all over. This is not a heavily tread road, and I can only recall Nona Hendryx getting this type of attention. The last track “Pinball City” is a strong rock anthem that I seem to remember Tina Turner used to do with Ike back in the day. Lisa Kekaula has gladly picked up that torch — people, are you ready to rock with the BellRays?
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Live performance – something the BellRays are famous for.