Aynsley Lister - Along For The Ride

I’ve got a lot of time for Aynsley Lister.  He’s a really talented guy.  But . . . well, we’ll get to that later.
When you hear tracks like ‘Eve Part I’ and its counterpart ‘Eve Part II: Love You To Death’, as well as ‘World Is Falling’ and ‘Made Up My Mind’, plus ‘No One Else But You’ and ‘Masquerade’, it’s clear the man has some handy tools in his bag as a songwriter, singer and guitarist.  These songs are stylistically diverse, but they all carry a kitemark of quality.

Aynsley Lister gets all moody and atmospheric

Pic by Alexandre Coesnon

The ‘Eve’ pairing, inspired by the TV thriller Killing Eve, exemplify a cinematic vibe that Lister has explored with success in the past, notably with ‘Il Grande Mafioso’ from his last album Eyes Wide Open.   “Part I’ conjures up a moody, mysterious atmosphere, with a high-pitched vocal from Lister over isolated piano chords, sparse guitar, ticking drums and bendy pulses of bass.  The lyrics produce a character sketch in smart and economical fashion, and Lister adds an elegant, thematic solo, which after a pause he elevates to ramp up the sense of drama.  And ‘Part II’ gradually turns the mood from merely sinister to threatening, with tough, ominous chords, bigger bass and drums, more urgency, and ultimately a blazing solo to close the album.
In contrast to these brooding, epic affairs, ‘World Is Falling’ is a brisk, staccato injection of energy into the middle of the album, with crunching chords and surges of organ the accompaniment for an oblique reflection on pandemic confusion, topped off with a gutsy, edgy solo.  ‘Made Up My Mind’ rocks too, but with a sidestep into funkier territory.   Hendrix-toned chords are played off against a kinetic, twitching rhythm from drummer Russ Parker in a manner redolent of Jimi’s ‘Fire’.  It’s tough and snappy, with a good hook, a weighty tug of war bridge beefed up by swirling organ, and some driving, wiry guitar soloing to which producer Scott McKeon makes a contribution.  At which point it’s worth noting that McKeon and Parker, plus Gavin Conder who adds backing vocals here, have previously combined in the band Rufus Black.
Contrastingly, ‘No One Else But You’ is a minimalist slow blues delivered with warmth and personality, demonstrating how simplicity can work.  ‘Masquerade’, meanwhile, is a musically playful jaunt into a European-sounding milieu, for a tale of escape from relationship deceit, which Lister decorates with a couple of solos that play around with the main theme to good affect.
But – yes, there is a but.  As good as the above songs are, elsewhere things get rather too comfy at times.  The title track is just one example of a song that feels stylish, but ultimately a bit thin, with a melody that’s tasteful, and nicely sung, abetted by some nice harmonies.  Nice, but not something to grab your attention, in spite of some sparkling, glittering soloing.  ‘Bide My Time’ and ‘Wait For Me’ concern different kinds of stuff getting in the way of relationships, but for all their qualities neither generates real traction.  The former exhibits subtle changes of pace and has a restrained, silvery guitar solo, and the latter includes an appealing guitar break with a vaguely Steely Dan-like jazzy leaning (a direction he could probably explore further), but both could do with more dynamics to make a real impact.  And our Aynsley could also do with being a bit more biting on the lyric front now and then, a bit more salty – even if he does observe on ‘Amazing’ that the online world “fucks with your mind”, underlined by a stinging solo and some swooping guitar on the outro.
There are other good moments, but over the course of 13 tracks Along For The Ride leans towards cruising along safely a mite too often, when sometimes a heavier foot on the gas is needed.  Meantime Aynsley Lister is still a really talented guy, who I look forward to seeing live in a few weeks.
 
Along For The Ride is out now on Straight Talkin’ Records, and can be ordered here.

Aynsley Lister - The Caves, Edinburgh, 18 December 2016

Aynsley Lister may tread the boards of the blues circuit, but he sure as hell doesn’t dwell at the grit’n’raunch end of the blues spectrum.  What Mister Lister serves up is smooth and sophisticated cuisine, not pub grub.

Aynsley Lister - let me tell you a story 

The opening instrumental is funky, and strong on dynamics, with hints of SRV and nice keys from Andy Price.  But most importantly it immediately signals the clarity of Lister’s guitar tone.  The show that follows is bookended by one of Lister’s specialities, a brand of supremely catchy, funky white soul that recalls Hall and Oates, maybe, with added guitar spice.  ‘Inside Out’ puts down a marker, and ‘Other Part Of Me’ has more oomph than on recent album Eyes Wide Open, but at the end of the set ‘Stay’ and ‘All Of Your Love’ stand out, the former with a distinctive “yahoo” garnish to the verse, and the latter with its chunky, ringing guitar riff.  All of which are well suited to Lister’s polished, pitch perfect vocals - even when he's struggling with a cold.

In between, he gets into storytelling mode both lyrically and musically on the likes of ‘Il Grande Mafioso’, on which he makes good use of vibrato while conjuring up a seedy, underworld vibe.  By the same token ‘Early Morning Dew’, from his 2009 album Equilibrium, perfectly captures the perspective of a slow lane observer of the rush hour.

‘Hyde 2612’ puts together some different ingredients, as Lister hauls out a semi-acoustic guitar to deliver a big sound, adding touches of slide in the course of some guitar/bass interplay with Steve Amadeo as a precursor to an impressively varied solo, before taking things down to just guitar and drums.

There’s a touch of boogie to ‘Sugar’, featuring a tongue-in-cheek guitar and piano duel between Lister and Price, but it’s the swing they bring to the blues that stands out on both ‘Quiet Boy’ and Muddy’s ‘Champagne And Reefer’, with Price nicely upping the jazz quotient on piano, and Boneto weighing in emphatically with swinging drums.  In fact the longer the night goes on the more Dryden shines.  He doesn’t just knit the sound together beautifully with Amadeo, he underscores the funk and swing in the arrangements, shifting rhythms to great effect in the fiery encore of ‘Purple Rain’.

Derek Smith cruises down Main Street

If I have one wish for the next time I see Aynsley Lister, it’s that he finds a space to take some bigger risks and shoot for the moon and from the heart.  The guy is a Premier League guitarist, a top-drawer bandleader, and an adventurous songwriter.  And I think he’s still got more gears at his fingertips.

On the undercard, Main Street Blues deliver the kind of earthy, rocking blues that’s right up my thoroughfare.  I can’t say I was familiar with Coco Montoya’s ‘Last Dirty Deal’ or Walter Trout’s ‘Broken Heart’ before, but these guys give them both a gutsy, early British blues-rock feel, hingeing on the mix of Derek Smith’s guitar and Iain Hanna’s organ sound, and underpinned by the well-grooved rhythm section of John McEvoy on drums and John Hay on bass.  The self-penned ‘Cold Bed’ has a surging riff and an air of Robben Ford’s ‘Howlin’ At The Moon’, and stands up well alongside a soulful reading of Albert King’s ‘Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’.  Catch ‘em if you can.

Aynsley Lister - Eyes Wide Open

Aynsley Lister has a lot going for him.  He’s a top quality singer, with a clear voice that’s easy on the ear.  As a guitar player, he’s even better, capable of real fireworks.  When he puts his mind to it, he’s an imaginative songwriter.  He has a crack band, with Bennett Holland on keys, Boneto Dryden on drums, and Steve Amadeo on bass.  Oh yeah, and he’s a good-looking sod too.

Eyes Wide Open is an album that shows what Lister is capable of, with songs that explore different avenues and are delivered with style, and the opening couple of tracks show off some typical Lister qualities.  ‘All Your Love’ enters with pulsing bass and a steady beat,

Aynsley Lister, eyes wide shut

over which some injections of guitar climb, but it’s the clear and easy vocal that marks him out – Lister has a distinctively English singing voice, lacking any American affectations.  ‘Everything I’ll Have To Give’ meanwhile, is a piece of soulful blues that’s right in his wheelhouse, with a rolling, easy rhythm and a piercing guitar solo with enough twists and turns to keep Jeremy Clarkson happy.

But he mixes it up a bit after that.  ‘Il Grande Mafioso’ has a cinematic vibe, with a Mediterranean feel instigated by the acoustic guitar intro, some seriously twangy guitar work, and piano lines that evoke the Harry Lime Theme.  Later, the halting and moody ‘Dishevelled’ recalls his previous cover of Nina Simone’s ‘I’m Feeling Good’.  It may not have the climactic peaks of the latter, but it does have a sinuous guitar solo, woven around the melody and elaborated with changes of pace.  It also evokes a late night sleazy bar encounter beautifully, Lister’s languid vocal perfectly delivered.

In between these, Lister occupies more straightforward territory with ‘Won’t Be Taken Down’ and ‘Time’.  The former has a restrained verse, offset by a surging chorus with seriously big guitar chords bringing the oomph.  The latter is light and sprightly, with twitchy guitar licks and one of the best hooks of the album in its soaring chorus.

For me, the second half of the album doesn’t quite maintain the standard set over these first six songs.  This isn’t to say that the track list includes any duds; Lister is far too professional for that, and there are always interesting things going on, not least in his guitar work.  But a ruthless advisor might have advised pruning a couple of the slighter songs in order to push the quality threshold to the max.

As I say though, he still does interesting things.  ‘Troubled Soul (Intro)’ is a delicate, Mark Knopfler-ish guitar vignette. ‘Kalina’ has a lovely, mellow guitar refrain, and here as elsewhere the interplay of Lister’s guitar with Bennett Holland’s keys is delightful.  I’d have liked a stronger melody and chorus, but it still achieves lift off by means of Lister’s guitar solo.  Meanwhile ‘Other Part Of Me’ is a relationship celebration with a tune and arrangement that bathe the lyrics in sunshine – the Commodores' ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning’ springs to mind.

Aynsley Lister isn’t easy to pigeonhole.  He shifts shape fluidly around a soulful, bluesy, rocky style.  I’m beginning to think he might be Britain’s answer to Robben Ford – someone who wants to push the songwriting envelope and find new ways of expressing himself, and has the top-drawer musicianship to match.  Hell, he’s a better singer than Robben Ford too.  If you haven’t been giving Aynsley Lister your attention before, you should start now.

Eyes Wide Open is released by Straight Talkin' Records on 7 October.  Check Aynsley Lister's tour dates for a gig near you.

Aynsley Lister - The Caves, Edinburgh, 6 December 2015

I don’t know why I like Aynsley Lister, but I do, yes I do, yes I do.  Which is to say, the guy isn’t easily pigeonholed.  Intuitively I position him in a space somewhere between Hamilton Loomis, King King and Paul Carrack.  Those may be tenuous comparisons – though KK’s Wayne Proctor did play drums on Lister’s latest album – but there’s a common thread of soulfulness about them that’s pertinent.

That latest album features heavily in this set, with the title track ‘Home’ grabbing the attention early, demonstrating his clear guitar tone and also a wonderful sense of control, of a promise of something more itching to break free.  ‘Broke’, meanwhile, isn’t just soulful but funky – in fact downright danceable.

When Lister switches guitars to his Strat he’s evidently bemused by an inability to get it

Aynsley Lister - Play that funky music, white boy!

tuned to his satisfaction.  But I suspect that mainly reflects his yearning for his precision, because I doubt if anyone else could tell the difference.  In any event ‘Hyde 2612’, with its injections of slide and funky chorus, is pleasingly ramped up from the album version, with a big guitar sound, jazzy interplay with Steve Amadeo on bass, and some elegant improvising around the melody in his solo.

‘What’s It All About’, from the 2009 album Equilibrium, has a more epic feel, with big guitar and bass figures, changes of rhythm, and washes of keyboard.  Meanwhile ‘Sugar’, from the latest album, is a boogie-time tale of lust.  Andy Price kicks things off with some lazy honky tonk piano, Lister delivers a wonkily bluesy solo, and the two of them go on to have some call-and-response fun.

As a taster for a new album slated for next year, we get a couple of new songs, ‘Other Part Of Me’ and ‘Stay’, the former particularly notable for Price’s soulful keyboard playing and instances of Lister’s ability to turn an original phrase, as in “we go together like the milk in your tea”.

Freddie King’s ‘I’m Tore Down’ is relaxed but purposeful, a great cover, with Boneto Dryden on drums embroidering to great effect around the shuffling beat.  The set closes with ‘Early Morning Dew’, on which Lister demonstrates his ability to add some country seasoning to his sound, before an encore of ‘Purple Rain’ – a long standing Lister favourite.

The feel good aspect of the whole set is unmistakable.  Aynsley Lister’s vocals may not quite have the richness of Paul Carrack, his soloing may not quite have the fire of Alan Nimmo – but shit, that’s exalted company by way of comparison.  I’ll be seeing him again.