CD REVIEW: THE DATE – Master Date

Shane | 24 May 2017 | Reply

CD REVIEW: THE DATE – Master Date
Independent
February 2017
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

To date The Date have released three albums and a handful of singles, and they’ve never once dropped the ball, upholding a fine level of quality whilst ploughing their individualistic take on blues rock.

The heart of The Date lies in the unusual vocal style of solid as a rock bass playing singer David Moran, and the supreme skills of guitarist Rob Susanto. Together they gel seamlessly, achieving that incredibly rare feat of managing to seem completely laid back, whilst playing searing, compelling, resolutely engaging rock n’ roll.

Previous singles Ghost Notes and Looking Down will be well known to regular readers, and the extended, reprised version of the former is a tasty extension of the original that gives Susanto the opportunity to flex his blues muscles and eplore the theme of the lyric from a musical perspective.

Building Me A Bunker is a tale of survivalist paranoia with some groovy slide guitar, while No More tackles the similar theme of societal breakdown, this time to an ironically upbeat riff. Checking Out is another song that The Date make seem easy with their louche charm, a laid back groove telling another story about dropping out of society – a theme touched on from a different angle again in How Far (Is Too Far).

Master Date is another great album from a great band that you deserve to check out.