Big Appetite
Noise-A-Thon Records
Local guitar-slinging singer Chris Gibbs continues his prolific run with a third album in as many years, and it’s a mostly acoustic hard rocker that continues to set the bar high.
The man’s love of KISS shines through in a few places, notably Said The Spider To The Fly’s Gene Simmons-ish rocker.
Gibbs’ command of his instrument, and ability to craft a thoroughly enjoyable tune, means he simply doesn’t have the ability to release anything that is less than top quality, and Big Appetite features 10 songs of intelligent and mature melodic rock.
Separate Ways and Lover’s Last Embrace are the sort of acoustic based near-ballads that made his debut solo album so enjoyable. Then you have the clever wordplay of the title track and Wrong Side Of The Tracks, and the simple yet masterful storytelling of (boxer’s tale) Don’t Count Him Out and Room For Everyone, the latter featuring a groovy sax solo from Dan Hart.
There’s nothing raucous or even terribly ‘rock’ about Big Appetite: it’s simply a consummate songwriter and performer laying down 10 tracks from the heart with little regard for anyone except his muse and his fans. As such, it’s a winner.
SHANE PINNEGAR
