Selwyn Birchwood: Pick Your Poison Review

Pick Your Poison is the newest album by American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Selwyn Birchwood, featuring Regi Oliver on saxophone, Huff Wright on bass and Courtney “Big Love” Girlie on drums. It’s the sequel to the 2014 album Don’t Call No Ambulance which brought the band into the spotlight with awards and memorable performances. With a gruff vocal, Selwyn is a very talented guitarist, switching between a regular six-string electric guitar and an electric lap steel guitar. Produced by Birchwood himself, the album was recorded in Orlando, Florida.

Pick Your Poison opens with “Trial By Fire,” with Birchwood playing slide guitar after a drum and fife intro, a great way to start. “Even The Saved Need Saving” shows the band very connected, the lap steel guitar on this track is superb. The title track is another great song, highlight to the wah pedal guitar solo. It’s hard not to mention “Police State” and “Corporate Drone” with lyrics saying hard truths and “Guilty Pleasures” and “My Whiskey Loves My Ex” with humorous lyrics. “Heavy Heart” is the big blues track, Birchwood shines with his vocal and guitar.

The extraordinary Selwyn Birchwood is among the new young stars on the modern blues. With tough and soulful vocals, classic blues on his guitar playing and memorable stories with his lyrics, Selwyn has the skills to keep the blues genre alive.

The Review: 8.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Trial By Fire
– Even The Saved Need Saving
– Pick Your Poison
– Heavy Heart
– My Whiskey Loves My Ex

The Big Hit

– Heavy Heart

Review by Pedro Matta

Buy the album: Amazon