Federal Charm: Federal Charm Review

Soulful, aggressive, yet direct and controlled – Federal Charm erupted onto the blues rock scene in 2011.  Originally a duo, when Nick Bowden and Paul Bowe hit the studio they expanded into a four-piece tour de force.  Relying heavily on thick, dirty guitar riffs and fast rhythms, the cathartic energy on Federal Charm’s self-titled debut feels uncontainable.

The four-piece sound like they learned at the knees of the likes of Led Zeppelin or Free, but with a modern sensibility that demands attention.  Nick Bowden’s vocals sound eerily like Owen Thomas of The Elms, having a certain a dynamic, young quality.  Some of Federal Charm’s best moments come from the way the vocal takes stand out against multiple guitar layers and pulsing, constant beat.  Nick Bowden and Paul Bowe’s guitar play almost battle each other at times, contrasting dirtier grunge-type guitar play with technical speed work.  Occasionally Bowe’s instrument lets loose with high-pitched squealing textures, making for an effect that sounds as though he’s channelling Joey Santiago.

The lead-off single, “There’s a Light,” captures southern rock in a frenzy of fast guitar riffs and quick, manic drumming, and the album opener “Gotta Give it Up” alternates a similar formula with a slower, body-rocking progression.  Anytime the speed-riff card is pulled, Federal Charm screams its allegiance to the blues and classic rock groups of the seventies.  The foursome can draw influence from their contemporaries as well.  Structurally, “Somebody Help Me” sounds not unlike something that could be found on a Black Keys or Cold War Kids record were it not for the ever-persistent pulse of Federal Charm’s explosive guitar work.

Amidst all the noise and energy, Federal Charm still takes time to show off their knack for traditional bluesman song construction on the slow jam cover “Reconsider” (perhaps Bowden’s most vocally demanding track), even if the track is periodically interrupted with heavier guitar riffs and on one occasion a time change.  If anything, this goes to highlight Federal Charm’s restlessness – the group toys with an idea briefly and, as though quickly growing bored of it, moves on to something new.  Nothing on Federal Charm has been given enough time to become old or cliché.  This is the type of record to keep in your car stereo on repeat.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Gotta Give It Up
– Somebody Help Me
– The Stray
– There’s A Light
– Reconsider
– Too Blind To See

The Big Hit

– There’s A Light

Review by Richard MacDougall

Buy the album: Amazon | iTunes