UMUR
"California Breed" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by UK/US hard rock act California Breed. The album was released through Frontiers Records in May 2014. California Breed is a three-piece act formed in 2013 after the demise of Black Country Communion. An act lead vocalst/bassist Glenn Hughes and drummer Jason Bonham had been members of from 2009 to 2013. The two have teamed up with guitarist Andrew Watt who completes the trio lineup.
California Breed play a traditional vers/chorus structured hard rock with more than a couple of nods toward late eighties/early nineties Soundgarden. It´s hard rocking, powerful, and effective but the band also incorporate more "mellower" tracks like "Chemical Rain" and "All Falls Down" on the album (they are not that mellow though, and maybe atmospheric is a better description), which provide "California Breed" with nice variation. There´s also an occasional psychadelic rock edge to some tracks, that again provides the album with variation. I read an interview with Glenn Hughes, where he characterized Andrew Watt as an unconventional guitar player, because he is more a team player than a solo guitarist. And in many ways Hughes is right, because Andrew Watt only plays few solos on this album, and both Bonham´s drumming and Hughes bass playing are equally important elements of the instrumental part of the band´s sound. They are a very organic sounding act, which suits the music well, and to top it off Hughes is an incredibly powerful and varied vocalist.
The sound production is powerful and organic, which again suits the music well, so all in all "California Breed" is a complete release, where all elements work well together. High level musicianship, professional and effective songwriting, and the above mentioned organic sound production are all great assets that make this album an enjoyable listening experience. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.