nobody else: Reviews

Nobody Else

“Youth is wasted on the young”, sings Annette Chapman, encapsulating how I felt watching her band perform. With a deceiving rock aesthetic, Nobody Else have the energy, talent and soul of any band twenty years their junior. Describing their rock and blues songs as melodic while still hard hitting, Nobody Else merge a variety of genres from their wide ranging musical influences with thought provoking, well-penned lyrics to produce songs surprisingly moving and inspirational. As they put their heart into their performance at the packed Wee Red Bar, I have never seen an Edinburgh crowd let their hair down so readily. If star ratings reflect the enjoyment of the audience and the passion of the performers, then Nobody Else get 5 stars.

Wee Red Bar at Edinburgh College of Art, 27 Aug, 8.45pm, £5.00 (£3.00)

tw rating: 5/5

NOBODY ELSE - We Don't Dance! (Pacific Grove)

Is “We Don' t Dance!” a Blues album? Maybe not entirely but it is very much influenced by the Blues. Is it a good album? Most definitely. Opening with two fairly standard yet melodic rock numbers, it is the third track which clearly identifies the influences of this band. 'Thank You' is not only an homage to some Blues greats but a classic yet modern Blues stomper. Of the eleven self penned tracks, two may well become modern Blues classics if given a wider audience. 'Good Goodbye' could be mistaken for a collaboration between Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson, with mournful lyrics sung over a riff straight from the Delta. The last track 'Where is your God?' Is a masterful combination of gospel, rock, soul and Blues and provides a fitting finale. Throughout the album, Annette Chapman's vocals are never less than stunning. This is a real voice. The band's playing is always complimentary to the songs and Nobody Else show a real confidence in the integrity of a three piece. If you think Blues music should be enshrined in some form of stasis, never to evolve then this album is not for you. If, however, you believe Blues is a living, growing entity which is totally relevant today then this album is a must.

Blues Matters Magazine, Issue 52, Page 103
(Winner of the Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Award for 2007, in the Print Media category from The Blues Foundation, in Memphis. Previous recipients have included major-titles, such as Rolling Stone.)

These guys usually play with a band, but tonight’s foray into acoustic territory begs for a repeat performance. Their first is a heavy shuffle about Scotland – “You are who I am”. We have a great deal of softly-sung songwriters here, so it’s great to see someone with a proper pair of lungs. And this girl can sing. “Do I have it all?” she asks on their second piece. ‘Yeah, pretty much,’ would have to be the reply. Awesome range. Their third shows off some fine details in the lyrics, this time about a grandad – “He puts on his cap, and quietly closes the door.” Cracking stuff.