New album: Red Beard || Die Trying

Gran Canaria is probably one of the last places you’ll look if you’re in the mood for soulful southern rock. Yet somewhere there is a house with a quality record collection – Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Allman Brothers Band, Otis Redding and many more (including Lynyrd Skynyrd, I presume) – and that is where Jaime Dimas grew up. Those influences eventually led to the founding of Red Beard. Their new album Die Trying offers everything that makes the genre so appealing: a big sound, mighty vocals, sing-along choruses, rhythmic piano strumming, and great guitar riffs. The record was recorded at the legendary Fame Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama – Red Beard is said to be the first Spanish band to make it this far – and you can hear how proud they are to be there, and that they want to live up to the expectations that place evokes (for example, listen to standout track Never Sounded so Good – “Yeah!” – and you’ll understand what I mean). They succeed gloriously: these nine songs – streaming only for now – convince in every way possible, and deserve to be released on vinyl as well.

Die Trying, produced by Charles Holloman, is out via Peermusic Española.