By “Tampa Earl” Burton, Rock At Night Tampa
Review: The New Old’s Self-Titled Album The New Old-October 2022
Sometimes tragedy brings about a rebirth. Like the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes, The New Old has been able to take the death of a brother and continue providing some exciting new rock and roll out of Detroit. Their latest self-titled effort The New Old demonstrates their commitment to gritty, guitar-driven rock and roll while also working out their emotions for their fallen comrade.
The New Old is the creation of former Bazooka Jones guitarist Chris Jones. After the passing of bandmate Rob Vamey, Jones used the catharsis of creation to work out his feelings with fellow Bazooka Jones drummer Billy “Love” Henrikson. The duo came up with three albums worth of material and, along with R. A. Taylor, Brandon Trenz (guitar), Pamela Holbrook (bass), and Chris’ wife Michele (vocals), reinvented themselves as The New Old.
Detroit has always been known for creating some in-your-face rock and roll, and The New Old certainly doesn’t disappoint in that regard. From the title track opening, the guitars come out in an aggressive, battle-tested attack, and a refreshing approach to music and musicianship. You’re not going to be hearing any synthesizers on this album as The New Old is real, powerful, and delivers exciting and well-crafted rock for their audience.
There are elements of blues, “swamp rock,” and other genres in The New Old’s mix, but it honestly is just pure rock and roll – no frills, no polish on it at all. In particular, I was drawn to the rather bluesy “Blackbirds,” while the title track and, along with “Hotrod Racer,” are a couple of tunes that stick in your head. The ten-track album wraps up with another couple of jewels in “Rockdog” and “Black Goat” which once again provide the rock and roll bona fides of The New Old.
If you’re a listener who prefers a gritty, “old school” sound delivered by consummate professional rock artists, then The New Old’s self-titled album, including the song “Bam! Bam!” should be something that you check out immediately. The band themselves say that they provide “grit, groove, and guitars,” and they excel in every one of those categories. It’s a refreshing sound in today’s overproduced music world and it deserves to be heard more.
Band lineup:
R.A. Taylor – Lead Vocals
Christopher Martin Jones – Guitar and Vocals
Michele Jones – Vocals and Percussion
Brandon Trenz – Guitar
Pamela Holbrook – Bass Guitar
Bill Henrikson – Drums
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