Gozer Goodspeed - Escape Hatch Fever (Lights 
& Lines)
Release Date: 3rd March 2023
So here it is, the much anticipated new album from Plymouth based blues troubadour Gozer Goodspeed is upon us and, as you might expect, it is full of mysterious song titles, deep grooves and hooks so big you could catch a whale with them (please note, whaling is not endorsed by this blog or Gozer Goodspeed). 'Escape Hatch Fever' starts with 'Bruised Bones and an Ego' (told you about those titles) which is a late night ramble of a song somewhere between Johnny Cash and Bono set to a low strung, single string melody. Second track 'What If Everything Goes Right?' is a far more rounded track with a tightly strung guitar line, a clattering Spin Doctors beat and the kind of energy that would match a 70s cop film chase scene.
The album's title track, 'Escape Hatch Fever', has a ponderous blues stomp to it as though it has nowhere to go but it definitely needs to get there before nightfall and Goodspeed's vocal drawl works perfectly with that kind of meandering energy. The urgency of 'Sense in the age of Excess' is both intoxicating and surprising as the drumming and guitar work almost seem to battle with each other while 'Vagus Nerve' has a real Americana road trip vibe to it which makes me wonder while it wasn't titled 'Vegas Nerve' but that's for another day. The late night poetic meander of 'Full Tilt Revival' is like a Leonard Cohen fever dream in the Mojave desert where the cacti are made of pickles and every grain of sand is a tiny tab of acid....with slide guitar.
On 'You Alone Choose The Table' has a swaying, almost lazy quality to it which you just want to let wash over you before 'Scattershot Comeback' goes full wig-out again with guitars that sound like shooting stars and a beat that gathers pace with itself like a racing mind in the middle of the night. Penultimate track, 'The Last Blood Moon of the Year', is my favourite connection as the rich, hypnotic acoustic strumming and Goodspeed's voice make for a mystical sound that builds layer upon layer to leave your head in a delicious, Doors-esque swirl. The album closes out with 'Reprise' which follows on from the previous track like the proverbial backwards played devil worship message just to leave you feeling disorientated. What I love most about this album is the freedom, the experimentation and the creativity which knows no bounds and that, dear reader, is a rare treat in this day and age.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/gozergoodspeed