After a first eponymous album of the name of the group (see here) released in 2018 and very noticed by the specialized press, the French of 'Jessie Lee & The Alchemists' led by the singer and guitarist 'Jessie Lee Houllier' return to the front of the blues/rock scene with their second opus 'Let It Shine'. A little tune from 'Beth hart' and the resemblance does not end there, because Jessie is an outstanding singer who, in addition to perfectly mastering her singing, has a gift for conveying emotions, whether in energetic atmospheres but also when the blues / rock wants to be more subdued.
We have two examples of this entry with, first of all, 'Another' and its swaying rhythm bringing us back to the best of rock of the 70s and reminiscent of a certain 'Led Zeppelin', and then, 'But You Lie' which takes you into a sensual blues that is enjoyed with happiness. The rest is in the image of this beginning with melodies that we immediately appropriate and we can quote the catchy 'You Gotta' or 'Get Out Of My Head' in a more direct style but also good blues/rock that starts immediately the feet tapping machine like 'The Same' or 'Sometimes' (see video above), not to mention the quieter moments with the eponymous title of the album or the magnificent 'One Only Thing' (see video here). We can also note that Jessie is surrounded by talented musicians, with 'Alexis Didier' on the guitar which has nothing to envy the greatest guitarists of this style (listen to this magical bond between the singer and the guitarist in 'Sometimes'), 'Laurian Daire' on keyboards bringing the binder to the whole and a remarkable rhythm section with 'Laurent Cokelaere' on bass and 'Stéphane Minana' on drums.
In short, no need to add more, this 'Let It Shine' which is listened to happily from start to finish is to be put on the same level as the recordings of international blues/rock tenors and should take a good place in the album collection of any amateur and lover of this style... | |
