Chris reviews Aynsley Lister - Everything I Need

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Chris reviews Aynsley Lister - Everything I Need

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Not so long ago when I was 21, my main achievements in life had been a bronze swimming certificate and managing to preserve my liver through 2/3rds of university - nothing exactly note-worthy. When Aynsley Lister was 21 he had already finished recording his second studio album and was making a big impact on the UK blues scene. His previous (self-titled) album had been an impressive debut, but whereas that largely featured covers the new record was to form a showcase of his songwriting and musical talents.

'Everything I Need' is blues through-and-through. The songs range in style from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Tony Joe White, but each one bares Aynsley's own individual sound. Just when you expect an established American voice to begin, you’re hit with fresh and soulful tones from somewhere distinctly closer to home. Leicester to be precise; and hearing a young British artist tackling the blues with such energy and confidence was a welcome breath of fresh air. His vocal style is reminiscent of some of the more melodic 90s indie bands; crystal clear and yet smooth at the same time; they combine perfectly with his sharp contemporary blues riffs. The song content varies superbly - from anthemic rock guitar in the title track, through the folk tinged acoustic melodies of 'As The Crow Flies' to the smouldering blues of 'Need Her So Bad'. Nothing seems to faze Aynsley Lister; he even takes on the challenge of covering the Hendrix classic ‘Little Wing’ acoustic and unaccompanied with complete confidence. It’s this ability to mix maturity with youthful vitality that is the key to his sound. It achieves the illusive balance of being raw, yet not even faintly ragged.

Whilst they vary somewhat in execution, the central theme to virtually all the songs is love. One notable exception is 'Soundman'; a roller coaster ride of scathing wit aimed, it seems, squarely at a particularly arrogant sound engineer. It also features some of the finest playing on the album, with a superb SRV-like opening riff and one of the most exciting guitar solos. The instrumental ‘Quiet Boy!’ has the same up-tempo blues feel, whilst tracks like ‘In The Beginning’ and ‘Angel O’mine’ demonstrate his ability to produce rounded and melodic blues-rock. This album really is hard to fault - it rocks, it stirs the soul and the whole thing is carried off with a degree of competence you simply wouldn’t believe from someone who was barely out of their teens at the time. It's no wonder that Aynsley Lister went on to be the only British artist featured in Classic Rock's top ten contemporary blues artists. Indeed, if this record had come out during the ‘blues revival’ of the 60s, Aynsley would surely be a household name alongside the likes of Eric Clapton and Peter Green – quite simply – it’s that good.
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