French blues duo/ collective returns with their newest album horizons. From the opener "At local, think global" they show their intentions, texas driven, guitar distorted blues rock n roll, a bit like ZZ TOP meets CCR and more. The duo sounds is far thicker than that of a duo, and "Wolf s at the door" is a screaming blues number, with funk elements, like ZZ TOP on steroids before they speed down to get the groove at the maximum.Unlike THE BLACK KEYS or THE WHITE STRIPES, INSPECTOR CLUZO have more in common with THE CLUTCH and late days ZZ TOP, with distortion making their sound thicker and sleazier.
"Running family farm is more rock than play rock n roll music" is another lean, distorted blues tune with great backing vocals and an aggressiveness reminiscent of AMBOY DUKES, BLUE CHEER, Ted Nugent and BLACK OAK ARKANSAS and of course MOTORHEAD the ultimate rock n roll trio. Another thing that makes IC music more interesting is their out of the box lyrics inspired by being both farmers and rockers and not the usual "life in the gutter" rock n rollers, another common with THE CLUTCH and their outside the band life. Their Heavy rock blues is not the typical one dimension , guitar wizzard over some simple twelve bar tunes. They build songs with character and identification inside the limits of the blues genre and at the same time with their own identity and character i.e "Shenanigans" has a DIRE STRAITS feeling , if only Mark Knopfler would love distortion."The outsiders" is a solid, robust riff driven blues rock song that screams Seattle and alternative 90s mixed with Jimi Hendrix and STEPPENWOLF touches. "Swallows" is a slow tempo, string countrified ballad , echoing the IC life in the farm and the rural area. More into classic rock the mid tempo,
"Horizon" is closer to anthemic rock like BIG COUNTRY and U2 with a heavy distorted middle piece to make this duo even more addictive and attractive with drummer "Phil" making a John Bohnam style performance. "Rockophobia" is a Chicago blues driven by a whiskey soaked voice and some 70s organ to a classic US road trip, a cadillac on the highway to hell with guitars blazing and cement rffs, singing "Rock is dead" the perfect funeral song."The armchair activist" is a tongue in cheek, ffurious , fuzzy twelve bar honky tonk, rock n roll thunder.If you love MOUNTAIN as IC do you will enjoy the big, bold ballad "9 billion solutions" a string infused, heavy ballad with great, emotionally charged vocals."Saving the geese" is another stormy rocker where the duo delivers a wall of guitars i the WHO vein, angry and unapologetic.The album closing track "Swallows back" is a reprise of one of the low profile tracks of the album, an almost ambient ,string driven ballad, full with the sense of absence and loss.
Overall IC are the epitome of modern blues rock/alternative rock duo with a sound far more in depth and rich than well known names of the genre and lyrics that stands out of the trivial. An album that requires listening and will reward you in each and everyone of them.
8,5