One of my favourite Kiwi guitarists from one of my favourite Aotearoa regions is Courtnay Low, leader and vocalist for Courtnay & The Unholy Reverie. The band is dropping its EP Mercy on Friday 11th October (or October 11th if you’re American), and holy mother of pearl, the focus single and EP are absolutely breath-taking.

Focus single for radio airplay is the track Vulture Vulture. I’ve given both the full EP and the radio-friendly (they limit the time of a track out of necessity for egalitarianism an other stuff) versions of the track a listen. The sole difference is a one minute twenty something second intro comprising an utterly filthily talented swamp blues guitar led by a toned gat that sends you right down to the most mozzie-ridden, croaking, malaria-haunted delta marshlands you could imagine.

Courtnay and the band then kick into a mean, snarling and muddy guitar piece overlaid with some exquisite extrapolated lead guitar. The tool in question is toned warm, and keeps the sweaty, fevered, menacing undercurrent going – itself strengthened by the rattlesnake melody. As Courtnay brings the vocal in with a delectably deceptive mezzo soprano, I find myself looking for that rocking chair and long-abandoned banjo. Then she cuts loose with the full noise vocal, and frankly I am guessing they had to turn the volume down in the engineering room when recording this. What a delivery! I cannot speak highly enough of the vocal. Unearthly. And two hundred and fifty percent suited to swamp blues delivered in the completely captivating style they have hit upon.

We’ve got a mid range tempo, some brilliant balancing of a whole raft of compelling sounds, and a hot, insistent bottom end delivered with precision and cohesion. You could not ask for better. Middling the mix is some raucous rock guitar riffing that sits well and adds a vibe to the rhythm section in a commercially appealing way. Not that the song isn’t commercially appealing anyway but you’ll see what I mean when you tune in!

I mentioned America above. I would love to hear what some of the hundreds and hundreds of American site visitors Flash-Trax has think of this track, and the EP as a whole. As the home of the Blues, of Swamp Blues, the USA would be most entitled to opine, so please have at it Hoss! Personally I think this is f***ing phenomenal, and the band has kicked off into the stratosphere, but I’d be keen on your views. Who knows – maybe some of you could entice them across the Pacific for some shows? 😉

Undeniably a fan, I congratulate the band, the studio work, and all involved in this. Sheer talent will always shine through. Have a listen to Vulture Vulture by Courtnay & The Unholy Reverie. Then try out the EP from this Friday onwards. Definitive of a genre. Believe me.